Beginnings 1: Beach Undercover
by angelicalkiss
Summary: The Hardy Boys are sent to Florida on a mission from their father. Their job is to find the son of a senator who disappeared one evening after attending a beach party. They soon find that there is more going on than meets the eye and with the help of a new ally, things are sure to heat up. #1 of the Beginnings Series - COMPLETE
1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

**Hello, friends! I am back with another story and another series. Yes, this is a **_**new**_** series as I have wanted to do an origin story with the characters for a long time now so I'm hoping it will do well. For the past few weeks, I have been working on the story to make sure that it's going to go in the direction I'd like for it to go before I start publishing it. So far, so good but again, that might change as we continue on in our journey. I'm actually rather surprised to be getting it out as quickly as I am but then again, I had an amazing writing session a few days ago which opened up everything. This prologue was the end result of that session so I'm very proud of it. I'm not sure if the title will stick either but let me knowif you like it or not. There are at least two more stories to follow this one with possibly more later on. To give you insight into this before reading, I'm going to give a little bit of background. For one, our trio is younger than the other stories I have written, roughly around the same age as the super mysteries. There is no Ned or Callie either, if you're wondering. I wanted a story without either of them for once so don't ask if they're eventually going to be written in. No significant others at first but that will change as well though I won't go any further on that. I hope you enjoy the story and please, if you will, leave your mark so that I know you were here! Have a wonderful day and God bless!**

* * *

Prologue

The little girl sat on the chair, her feet dangling over the edge though they were several inches from the floor. She stared at the cute shoes she wore, the same ones her mommy bought her the week before. But her mommy was gone she thought sadly, a small tear escaping down her cheek. She looked around the room at the adults talking in hushed tones. They were dressed in black or dark blue and the air around exuded sympathy and sorrow. The little girl herself wore a black drew with a white collar, the black Mary Janes prominent over white tights. Blond curls framed her face though in the light, slight shades of red could be seen. Her blue eyes continued to tear up even though no one seemed to notice. Well, almost no one.

"Hello," a voice said politely. She looked up to see a boy about her age standing before her. He had a smile on his face and his brown eyes showed excitement at the sight of another child in the drab house they were in. The girl could see another boy with blond hair about a year old clinging to his mother's dress, a thumb stuck in his mouth. He seemed to have more interest in getting his mother's attention than to play. The dark haired boy spoke again. "Wanna play?"

The little girl looked back at him sadly then shook her head.

"Why you so sad?"

"My…my mommy's gone. She went away and I want to go wif her," she blubbered. The girl rubbed her eyes as tears flowed down her cheeks. The boy climbed up on the chair, the two easily able to sit together, their shoulders touching. He gently took her hand and squeezed it, smiling at her with excitement.

"My Daddy will find her then," he said puffing out his chest proudly. The boy pointed to two men talking quietly with one another though one of them didn't look happy. "He's a detective and he's the best in the whole world. He'll help, I know it."

"Really?" She looked at him, her eyes gleaming with hope. "He can find my mommy and bring her home?"

"Oh, yeah! He can do anything! And if he can't, then I'll do it. I'm going to be a great detective one day, just like Daddy."

Their exchange stopped at the sound of yelling coming from across the room. The two men who were once talking were now screaming at each other, the others in the room stopping all conversations at the sudden interruption. One of them threw a punch and the boy's father was now rubbing his jaw, looking at him in shock.

"I trusted you, Fenton!" the other man yelled. "She wasn't supposed to be there and look what happened! You lied to me!"

"Carson, please," Fenton replied, stepping forward. A woman came up to him though the little blond boy screamed in terror at what was going on. The room was quiet as the other mourners watched in shock as the scene continued to unfold. "I didn't know what was going on! She came in at the last minute and I had no choice but to let her come! She _wanted_ to be there! You have to believe me!"

"I don't want excuses!" Carson cried pushing him back. "I want you out of my house and out of our lives! NOW!"

"Carson…" the woman pleaded, gently grabbing a hold of his arm.

"Don't, Laura," he said through gritted teeth. "Just take the boys and go."

Carson looked over at the little girl and rushed over to her. Without another word, he gathered her in his arms and walked out of the room as everyone looked on. The girl looked over his shoulder and waved solemnly at the little boy who had been so kind to her. Although she never caught his name, she would never forget what happened. She would never forget the boy's father or how angry her own father was at the man. She never saw the boy again but always wondered what became of him as she grew up.

* * *

_Sixteen Years Later..._

The waves crashed on the beach, the evening sun sitting on the horizon. The beach was all but empty save for the sounds of music and laughter that drifted in the wind. A young woman in her late teens walked along the beach, heading toward a party that got louder and louder as she approached. Though she didn't have an invitation, she was dressed for the night in a bright blue, skin tight dress that accentuated her curves and brought out the blue in her eyes if anyone noticed. She was alone though her intention was to mingle as if she belonged. The girl had heard the stories of those who crashed the parties and got caught but she had no intention of becoming one of those unfortunate souls. She was to find information and she was intent on fulfilling that job.

A squeal of delight caught her attention. A couple played in the surf nearby, the girl splashing the man who chased her into the waves, neither one of them caring about getting wet. The young woman stopped, watching enviously, her heart yearning. She shook it off, her determination to find the pirates returning.

"Hey!" called a voice from above. The young woman looked up to see a smiling face above her staring down. "Whatcha doing down there, Beautiful Lady? The party's up here!

She smiled broadly though wary of the stranger. She could tell he was drunk from the way he swayed and the ever-present slur when he spoke. But she also knew he could vouch for her in the even someone asked for her invitation so she went up the stairs to the deck to meet him.

He was handsome that was for sure, with dark hair and chiseled features. The clothing that he wore spoke loudly of wealth, the Rolex watch on his wrist a dead giveaway. At the last step, the man took her by the hand and whirled her around to him, dipping her at the last moment in surprise. The man was really hard not to laugh at though he almost dropped her at one point.

"God, you're gorgeous," he huffed, staring at her in the lights above them. "Where have you been all my life?"

Before she could say anything, the man kissed her sloppily, the first impression of him not going so well for her. Finally, he let up and brought her upright and out of breath. As she smoothed her dress out, the man looked at her from head to toe, taking her in. She was beautiful, one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. Even in his drunken state, he knew he wanted to get to know her better. He looked around nonchalantly at the party goers. No one really paid any attention to them as the party was unusually small that night, the host wanting a more intimate gathering than normal. Most of the guests were inside anyway, enjoying the tables of delicious food laid out for them all. The young woman looked around herself, seemingly excited about the prospect of being at the party and with him…or so the man thought. They were soon interrupted though as a waiter came with two glasses of champagne, offering his tray to the two before the man took both flutes. The waiter disappeared as quickly as he appeared, neither one of the two noticing another pair of eyes watching them with keen interest.

"To such a Beautiful Lady," the man toasted as he gave her the other flute. She gratefully took it and the two downed the champagne quickly.

Once they were done with the flutes, she gently placed hers on the railing of the deck, listening to the man talk. She listened intently though she had no real interest in him. Her eyes scanned the party, searching for something that might be a clue though there was really nothing that could be seen. There were no other party goers outside which struck her as strange.

The man made a joke that she slightly laughed at though her thoughts soon moved to the boy for some reason, the one she met so many years before. She knew the man standing before her wasn't the boy grown up but she always compared men to him whenever she'd meet someone new. Almost as if she was drawn to him. What she wouldn't do to be in his company instead of the windbag in front of her.

Suddenly, her mind clouded over like a storm had blown in. She swayed slightly, trying to shake off the cloudiness. Glancing at the railing, her vision blurred, the flute she drank from fuzzy looking. Realizing what happened, she steadied herself on the railing though it didn't do any good. She started toward the stairs to the beach and escape just as the man she was with collapsed from the same drug she was given.

As her thoughts continued to cloud, one thing kept coming up: how did someone find out about her intentions? She had only been at the party for a few minutes before the champagne was given. Her mind went blank as she fell forward toward the steps. Before she tumbled down, a pair of strong hands grabbed a hold of her and eased her back onto the deck. Just before she completely blacked out, the girl heard voices speaking in low tones. She strained herself to hear, fighting whatever drug was given to her.

"Take him to the boat, Jorge," a man's voice ordered. "We'll deal with him later."

"What of her?" asked another.

"She was with him though I have a feeling they didn't come here together," the first man observed. Her eyes fluttered as she felt a hand caressing her cheek. "Take her discretely to the guest room and make sure she's comfortable. She will probably not even remember what happened this evening but I need to make sure she doesn't when she wakes up before I allow her to leave."

She tried to protest though nothing came out, her body limp as someone hefted her into his arms. The last thing she remembered was the man who said that they finally had the payout they wanted.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you so much for the awesome reviews of the Prologue! The support from each of you is so humbling! I am so happy to be starting up with this story and the whole series itself! I have actually four stories in mind, including this one so get ready for a wild ride! Anyway, back to the present. I am hoping to be getting out these chapters pretty quickly since I'll be home for the next two weeks. The state of Pennsylvania closed all the schools so I am going to be holing up with my oldest one giving me more time and energy to write (hopefully). Yay for all of us! As long as my child doesn't drive me insane over the course of the next two weeks! At least my little one is still in daycare...for now. So, I'm hoping to be getting out chapters every two to three days. Again, cannot promise anything but I will TRY. Without any further ado, here is the first chapter and as always, if you'd to leave a review, please do so! Have a great weekend and God bless! Stay healthy everyone!**

* * *

Chapter One

"Isn't this great?" cried seventeen-year-old Joe Hardy looking over at his older brother, Frank. He bounded up to the beach and immediately kicked off his sandals, raking his toes playfully in the hot sand. "Sun, surf, girls, _and_ no school for a whole week? What more could you ask for?"

Joe watched as several bikini-clad girls strolled by him giggling. Flashing one of his signature smiles at them, the girls waved back though they continued on down the beach. "Damn! This is going to be so much fun!"

"You know we're not here for fun and games, Joe," retorted Frank. He walked up to the beach, scanning everyone from the elderly couple playing with their grandchildren to the numerous sun bathers and beach goers. At nineteen, Frank was a little more reserved though his younger brother.

If one were to look closely at the two brothers they could easily find similar facial features marking them as being related but the similarities ended there. Contrasting Joe's blonde hair, blue eyes, and large athletic build, Frank was dark haired with deep, brown eyes and smaller, toned body. He took after their father both in looks and personality being a little more focused with the task at hand unlike Joe's constant boisterous personality and procrastination.

"Man, you really know how to bring down the mood, Frank," Joe stated. The older Hardy gave him a look. "Lighten up! It's Spring Break and we're in Florida! Look at all the girls around you! Just think. Miss Right might be here waiting just for you!"

"It may be Spring Break to you, Joe," he replied with a shake of his head, "but Dad had to pull a few strings for me to be able to come this time around. I have to make up all the work before finals in three weeks! Plus the fact that that's not why we're here." Frank lowered his voice as he looked around. "We're here to find Senator Hawkley's son, remember?"

"Oh, right."

Two days before, Secret Service Agent Jim Taylor contacted their father, Fenton Hardy, for help. The two were former partners from when they were on the NYPD force years before. The agent specified that he needed two young people to come to Florida in order to find Senator Winston Hawkley's only son, Parker. The 22-year-old had vanished without a trace the week before though several witnesses say they saw him attending an intimate gathering at one of the large beach homes. The same witnesses couldn't exactly say which house it was nor if he was with anyone when he disappeared.

Agent Taylor thought up the idea of bringing in outside help in the form of the two brothers since they actually looked the age of those at the beach and were more likely to fit in a little better without being detected. The Hardys' job was to find which house had the party that night and infiltrate it in order to find clues of Parker's whereabouts. No ransom demands had yet been sent but the Secret Service agent thought that maybe it was for influence over the senator rather than for money.

"Are you lost?" replied a cheerful voice behind them. Frank and Joe turned to see a pretty girl staring at them, a smile etched across her face. She was shorter than the brothers by at least six inches and stared up at the two with interest. Her blonde hair blew in her face and Frank could see traces of red highlights glistening in the sun as she tucked the strands behind her ear. She wore a lacy white cover-up though a black bikini could be seen underneath.

"Oh, uh, no…well, in a way, yes," he stammered while Joe rolled his eyes. Even though he could talk someone's ear off about computers, Frank always had an issue when it came to girls, especially pretty ones. The girl smiled broadly and giggled. "We…we're…"

"We're looking for a good place to plop our stuff before we get in the ocean," Joe blurted out interrupting his brother's feeble attempts at speaking. Frank gave him a contemptuous look before his face went red with embarrassment. "Please excuse my older brother. He has a tough time getting words out at times. He's a little slow in the social arena."

Frank made a noise though the girl gave him a slightly sympathetic look.

"My name is Joe Harrison," he continued. The brothers had decided to change their name for the operation due to social media and Google. Their real names would give away the real reason why they were in Florida. "And this is Frank. We just got here from New York and are looking for some fun in the sun."

"Well, I can help you with that!" she said enthusiastically. The girl motioned for them to follow her. "My friends are this way. We're from Pennsylvania. I'm Melody, by the way. Melody Banks."

The trio headed down the beach toward a small group of other teens who were sunbathing and throwing a football around. Frank could see an empty beach beyond lined with massive houses overlooking the ocean. He wondered why no one was beyond the small group but his answer had to wait as Melody introduced them to her friends.

"Hey guys! Come meet the Harrison brothers. They just got here from New York!"

Two girls sunbathing on a set of towels lifted their sunglasses to assess them. One of the girls had pitch black hair while the other was bleach blonde. Both girls smiled sweetly before returning to their sunbathing. Frank blushed deeply but didn't say anything. He had a feeling the girls were already taken by the two boys who were playing football nearby. They were in their late teens, both of them had dark hair though one had green eyes and the other brown. They jogged over to Melody, greeting both Frank and Joe cheerfully.

"This is Frank and Joe," Melody replied. "These two hot shots are Calvin Dooley and Brian Moynahan and the girls are Jessie Markus and Bridget Dooley, Cal's sister."

"Nice to meet you guys," Cal smiled taking Frank's hand and pumping it generously. "We've met so many people since we got here but most of the time we just chill right here. We don't leave for another few days so we're trying to find things to do before we go."

"Yeah, like playing football on the beach," Brian smirked. Melody rolled her eyes and shook her head as she went over to Jessie and Bridget. She slowly pulled off her cover-up then plopped down next to the other girls. "You guys play?"

"Hell yeah!" Joe whooped. The two brothers shed their shirts and towels before running after Brian and Cal.

The four boys started a raucous game of football that spanned the beach and ocean. Several beach goers moved out of their way as they went through, laughing at the four who were quickly becoming friends. Although Frank had been a quarterback in high school, he was still a little rusty so Joe took over even though he was more of the linebacker type.

"Go long, Frank!" Joe cried to his brother. He threw a bullet through the air and Frank chased after it, his feet pounding the sand. Neither Brian nor Cal could catch up to him and the two stopped running when it became apparent that Frank was too fast for them.

As he continued going after the ball, Frank wasn't paying any attention to what was in front of him and ran full-on into another body. The two splashed into the ocean while the football landed with a splat a few feet away. When he rose out of the water, he sputtered water out of his mouth and wiped his face. Frank saw that the person he ran into was still in the water and he leaned over to help them up.

"I am so sorry!" he cried emphatically. The girl stood up slowly with his help though he couldn't see her face as it was covered up by her hair. She held up a finger to Frank to stop him from saying anything more then dunked herself into the waves. When she came back up, her hair was slicked back revealing a beautiful face with a kind smile. Frank took a step back speechless as he looked at her.

Her eyes sparkled in the sun, the blue hue almost matching the sky. The bikini she wore hugged her figure, leaving little to the imagination. When she took notice of him staring at her, she looked away sheepishly.

"Uh…hi," Frank stammered. "I…I'm sorry I ran into you."

"It's okay," she replied with a smile. "I guess I have to watch out for handsome guys before rushing out into the ocean."

The girl nervously looked around then turned her attention back to him.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked noticing her nervousness.

"What? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah," the girl stated distractedly. Her smile remained though Frank could tell that something was bothering her. He couldn't believe that he embarrassed himself again in front of another beautiful girl. She saw his downcast face and smiled broadly, her anxiety suddenly gone. "I'm sorry to be so rude. It was my fault that I didn't see you coming. I'm Daphne Blake."

"Frank Har-Harrison," he stumbled almost giving her his real name.

"Well, Frank Har-Harrison," she laughed stepping up to him. Daphne gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thanks for being so sweet."

"That's not…" he stopped seeing a change in her face. Daphne stared at something in the distance, her face growing pale even with her tan. Frank was about to ask her what was wrong when he heard his name being called. He turned away from her to see his brother, Cal, and Brian jogging up to him. Melody was rushing up behind them. He waved them over then turned back toward the girl. "I'm sorry, I have to…" Frank stopped. The beautiful girl he ran into was gone as if she never existed. He looked around the beach but she was just…gone.

"Hey, there you are!" cried Joe stopping just in front of him. Cal waded into the ocean and picked up the football. "What took you so long? Did you drop the ball again?"

"No, I…" Frank continued to search the beach for the girl only to find nothing. "Did you guys happen to notice the girl I was talking to?"

"You? Talking to a girl?" his brother laughed. "That would have been awesome to see since you can't speak more than three words to one."

"Shut up, Joe. I'm being serious."

"I didn't see anyone," Cal shrugged. Brian shook his head while Melody gazed at Frank solemnly.

"I was chasing down the ball and ran right into her," Frank protested. "She was standing right here not two seconds ago."

"Did you hit your head or something?" Joe smirked. He did notice that Frank was wet from head to toe and wondered. His older brother never really told lies. "Maybe you just saw something when you went down."

"Or maybe Ariel came in for a visit then swam back out to sea," laughed Brian. "Guys, I don't know about you but I'm getting hungry. It's almost dinner and I'm just done with the sun for the day. What say you?"

"Yes!" cried Joe, giving him a high five. "Finally, someone after my own heart! I'm famished! Let's go, Frank. You can daydream about your mystery girl on the way to the restaurant."

Frank looked around one more time before giving up and following the others back to their towels. After gathering their stuff, the teens drove down the street to a restaurant that overlooked the ocean. The place was called The Crab Shack and was filled with teens and college students alike, the noise level loud and cheerful. The seven of them squeezed into a corner booth and each ordered the crab legs. Soon the group was devouring the legs in earnest, none of them saying much until their meals were almost gone.

"So, Frank," Cal piped in after wiping his mouth, "do you still think you saw this girl?"

"I don't know what to think anymore," he shook his head. Melody sat next to him and he felt it was a little too close for his comfort. Frank scooted over just a bit trying not to let on that he moved. "I know what I saw and I wouldn't make it up."

"I believe you," his friend nodded with a smile. "Did you get her name?"

"She said it was Daphne," Frank replied quietly. Melody looked up, her face red with anger for a split second before she calmed down hoping no one noticed.

"What did she look like?"

"Well, her hair was wet from the ocean so I'm not sure what color it was," he said thoughtfully. He paused briefly to think. "It looked light but dark at the same time. But her eyes though. They were as crystal blue as you can get. I'll never forget that. She seemed very familiar too, her name in particular. It's like I've known her for years."

"Oh, you've got it bad, man," Brian snickered taking a bite out of his crab leg. "I surely hope she's real for your sake because she sounds hot."

"I'm sitting right here, you know," Bridget said with an annoyed look.

"Oh, sorry, Babe," he replied, wrapping his arm around her. He planted a slobbery kiss on her cheek and she squealed. "I still love ya!"

"Ew!" she squirmed. The girl maneuvered herself as best she could away from her boyfriend but still laughed. "Butter lips! Next time, wipe your face!"

"I'll give ya more later on!" Brian laughed. The rest of the table groaned though they were entertained by the couple. Cal glared slightly at his friend though he didn't say anything. He turned to Frank with a smile.

"If this girl does exist, Frank," he stated, ignoring his friend's advances to his sister, "I think I have a feeling as to who it is and Dude, you are the luckiest guy out there!"

"Huh?"

"Why's that?"Joe asked finishing off his crab legs.

"It's nothing," Melody piped up. She glared at Cal warningly. "Just a fantasy for these guys."

"She's not nothing, Mel," Cal retorted, ignoring the look, "and you know it."

"I'm confused," Frank stated, looking between Cal and Melody. "She sounds like a myth of some sort. Who is she?"

"If it's who I think it is, she's what I call the 'Forbidden Fruit,'" his friend continued. Melody scoffed and shook her head. "Ignore her, Frank. Mel is just jealous that the guys on the beach aren't swarming to her like they do with this girl. No guy here has even gotten that far in getting her name either."

"Oh my god!" she yelled. "I am not jealous. This girl Cal fantasizes about doesn't exist. It's probably not her anyway. Some girl off the street."

"Then why are you getting all bent out of shape, Melody?" Joe asked. He was interested in Daphne though not in the same way as Frank. She may actually know something that may lead them to Parker. "If she's real, then I think we should find her. Maybe she's really nice."

"I'm telling you, it wasn't her," Melody huffed irritated. "Frank, just forget about her."

"I wouldn't," Cal smirked. "How do you even know that anyway? Are you her handler or something?"

"No," she stated annoyed. "I just know it couldn't be her.

"Oh, now I remember who you're talking about, Cal," Brian replied. "She's part of the reason why we stick so close to the private beach area every day."

"Okay, now I'm really confused," Frank finally spoke.

"She lives in one of those houses on the beach," Cal answered. "At least, that's what we think."

"Plus we heard that there are some epic parties that happen every few days!" Brian laughed. "They're supposed to be monumentally huge and by invitation only. No one really knows which house is going to host the next party or when it will be but we want to be here when the invites go out. Maybe there's a chance to see that girl too. At least, that's what Cal's hoping. We've only seen her once and that was at a distance."

"Then how do you know she's pretty?" Melody asked. Cal and Brian rolled their eyes at her.

"When was the last party?" Joe inquired trying to keep the subject on the parties. He thought about the houses they saw earlier. They looked empty though he wondered which one held the secret to finding Parker Hawkley.

"It was the day before we arrived here," Bridget said. Jessie nodded in agreement. "But there was one that was a little over a week ago too. Isn't that right, Mel? You were here when that party started. Didn't you say you went?"

"Me?" Melody looked surprised. She nervously glanced around before shaking her head. "I…I don't know what you're talking about. That party was exclusive with only a handful of people going. I didn't get the chance to go."

Frank watched the girl's demeanor change. Sweat poured down her face as she continued to look around them, a nervous tick in her eye. "Are you okay, Melody?" he asked concerned. She looked at him in alarm before she smiled.

"What? Oh, yes! Bridget must been mistaken though. I've never set foot in any of those houses. I arrived here the day of that party so there was no chance for me to get an invite."

"That's not what you told us, Mel!" cried Cal in a booming voice that garnered looks. "Plus you were the one who told us about those parties!"

"I didn't go, okay!" she yelled taking them all by surprise. "I lied!" Glaring at her friends, Melody grabbed her bag and stormed away without another word. The group watched her go, confusion written on their faces.

"What's up with her?" Joe watched the girl storm away out of the restaurant. She seemed nice to a certain point but Joe found her to be a little bit off.

"She's been like that ever since we met her," Jessie shrugged.

"Wait, I thought she said you were all from Pennsylvania?" Frank replied suddenly interested in the young woman who walked away. "That was what she told us when we met."

"_We're_ from PA," Cal reiterated, pointed to him and his friends. "We met Melody the day we arrived. She introduced us to another group of kids who left soon after we got here. I have no idea where she's from but I know she knows a lot about those houses and the people who live there. Melody is really jealous of that girl I told you about even though she keeps saying she doesn't know her. I think she does though, she just doesn't want to admit it."

The conversation between the six teens soon died out much to Frank and Joe's dismay. They wanted to hear more about the parties but they knew they would be back on the beach the next day in order to see if the invites go out. It was the only course they could take since going up to the actual houses during the daytime would be out of the question. Still Frank's mind went back to the girl he met earlier in the day. He wondered if she knew anything since she was actually living in one of the houses, if that was really the case. But the real question was which one was it?


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The next morning, Frank woke up uneasy, his mind reeling through the events of the day before. He couldn't get Melody or Daphne out of his head. Both girls looked the same save for a few facial features that distinguished one from the other including Daphne's eyes. They seemed to bore into him like a never-ending sky, mesmerizing him almost as if he had seen them before. But then Melody came back as if trying to compete for his attention. The girl held her own mysteries that intrigued Frank though not in the same way as Daphne did. She was hiding something and he had a sinking suspicion that it had something to do with Parker Hawkley's disappearance. Her reaction to her friends' remarks about the parties struck Frank as odd. Still he felt drawn to both of them which would explain his constant thoughts on each girl since the moment he met them. Even with his nervousness around girls, maybe he could finally get the courage to talk to one of them. That is if Joe would let up on him a bit about it.

He never understood how Joe could be so easy with girls just by simply flashing a dazzling smile while he himself stumbled to find the right words. Not that Frank didn't talk to girls at all or dated. There were just times that he would put his foot in his mouth or spew out word vomit that would leave a girl either a little intimidated by him or just plain bored. Either way Frank struggled to find Ms. Right though while in college without Joe, he opened up a bit more and was more easily able to socialize. And when it came down to talking business or education, Frank could talk to anyone, including any girl who was interested in the subject. It was a fact that Joe just loved to rub in a little bit from time to time though in good spirit, of course.

Frank looked over at the alarm clock to see that it was a little after six in the morning. The other bed was occupied by a loud snoring mass huddled under the covers, indicating that Joe had no intention of getting up so early during his Spring Break. Frank shook his head and stretched before getting out of bed to take a shower. He thought that maybe he'd head downstairs with his schoolwork and eat breakfast while he waited for Joe to wake up. During the shower, his mind was able to clear so he could go through things a little more coherently. Certain things came out that seemed to be irking him though. One thing in particular was Daphne's name. Frank knew he heard it from somewhere before just like the familiarity he felt when he met her. It was something he was going to have to write down when he got out of the shower. Maybe then he would be able to figure it out.

As for Melody, there was something waning about her too. Trust was an issue in both cases but Frank felt he could trust Daphne moreso than Melody. He vowed to get answers from both girls even if he had to hunt them down on the beach.

A sudden knock at hotel room door jolted Frank back to reality and he shut the water off. After drying and dressing quickly, Frank opened the door to the bathroom as another knock came, this time louder and more urgent. He looked over at Joe who stirred briefly before a head popped out from under the comforter.

"Took you long enough!" cried Fenton Hardy when Frank finally opened the door. Their father stood in the hallway with his arms folded in front of him before storming into the room. Joe was now sitting up on his bed bare-chested and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes as Fenton looked around the messy room. "Looks like you boys made yourselves at home. I would hate to be the maid to clean it up."

"I thought you weren't coming to Florida right away, Dad," replied Frank. He bustled around to clean up the clothes that were strewn around the floor, making a way for their father to sit. "Did something happen?"

"Yeah, I would like to get some more sleep before heading to the beach this morning," Joe grumbled.

"Fat chance, Joe," their father growled sitting down in the rolling chair at the desk. "There's been a change in plan and I wanted to come down here to discuss it with you. You have five minutes to get dressed and meet me in suite 1585."

"But you know I can't think straight without having any food in my stomach," the younger Hardy frowned. "And how come you get a suite?"

"Five minutes, Joe."

With that Fenton left the room as quickly as he came in leaving the boys to wonder what was going on. Since Frank was already dressed, he took his time in getting his shoes on and tidying up a bit before grabbing his towel for the beach. Joe on the other hand ran around the room gathering clothes together before disappearing into the bathroom. Ten minutes later the brothers stood outside suite 1585 and knocked. A woman answered the door and smiled as the brothers stared at her in surprise.

"Mom!" cried Frank stepping forward to hug her. "What are you doing here?"

Joe came in behind him, grinning from ear to ear though it wasn't because of his mother standing in front of him. A table was set before them filled with food including a spread of eggs, toast, and fruit. The aromas of bacon and sausage wafted toward the brothers as if beckoning them into the suite.

"Your father and I thought it would be nice to come down for a mini-vacation," she smiled after hugging both her sons. "Unfortunately I didn't know he had an ulterior motive for coming here."

"Hey, I told you that you didn't have to come!" Fenton remarked coming around the corner. "You know that Jim will be coming too in the near future but as long as no one knows that we're related to the boys, you should be safe."

"Why are you here though?" Frank inquired. "You said you were leaving us the case."

"I know I did," his father smiled. "And it's not that I don't trust you either. It's just that there's been a new development and I felt I needed to come down here to explain it rather than over the phone. Jim and the rest of his agents will be coming later today or tomorrow."

"What kind of new development?" Joe said, licking his lips at the sight of the breakfast spread.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Eat!" cried Laura, pushing her youngest son towards the table. "Just go eat before you drool all over the carpet!"

The four Hardys sat down at the table and began eating silently though Frank was still wondering what was going on. Something big must have happened for their father to drop everything and head down to Florida with their mother. It wasn't until they were almost done with breakfast that his questions were answered.

"What's going on, Dad?" Frank asked after wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Fenton sighed then looked at his two sons. "I just got word that there's a second investigation going on down here." The brothers exchanged glances in surprise. "It's a different case though."

"Wait, what?"

"That's exactly what I said!" Fenton huffed. "Apparently our investigative government entities don't like telling each other what they're doing let alone actually working together."

"Do we know who they are?"

"No, that information has not been given as of yet," he shook his head. "Just that it's one person with a lot of clout. It could be anybody for all we know. Have you met anybody as of yet?"

"Well, yeah," Joe piped in. "We met a group of kids yesterday who are our age though I highly doubt any of them are undercover. Well, maybe except Melody."

"Melody?"

"Yeah, she seemed different than the others," Frank pointed out. "She also lied to us right off the bat by saying she was from Pennsylvania like the rest of the group. The others told us they met her when they got here. Who knows how long she's been in Florida or where she's from. There's something about her though that I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Yeah, other than the fact that she has eyes for you, Frank," Joe snickered.

"Shut up, Joe."

"And you still can't talk to a girl," he continued.

"Joe, enough," Laura ordered. The youngest Hardy stopped immediately, the smile evaporating when he saw the look on his mother's face.

"Sounds like she's something worth looking into," Fenton replied. "She may indeed be the other investigator so maybe we should treat her as such. I want you both to see if you can get any information out of her. You say you don't know how long she's been here? She might be the key to finding Parker Hawkley."

"I agree, Dad," Frank nodded. "Both Bridget and Cal called her out on being at one of the parties and Melody got angry, denying it. I think she might have been at the party Parker attended and if she was, she might have seen what happened to him."

"Have you heard anything about these parties?"

"Just that they're by invitation only," Joe answered, shoveling a fork load of eggs into him mouth. He took a few moments to chew before continuing. "The kids we met yesterday are hoping to get invites before they head home in a few days. It's why they park themselves right next to the houses with the private beaches."

"Good, then stick to them for now. Maybe Melody will open up as you two are there more often and if you're lucky, you'll get one or two of those invites."

"There's also the other chick that was on the beach too," he said looking at Frank. The older brother gave him a dirty look, pursing his lips.

"Don't call girls 'chicks,' Joseph Hardy," Laura scolded, swatting at him. "Manners."

"Sorry, Mom. The _girl_ from the beach, Frank, remember? Maybe she knows something too…that is if she actually exists."

"Don't start, Joe," Frank warned.

"What are you two talking about?" Fenton asked looking from one son to the other. "Was there someone else you met?"

"Yeah," Frank said cautiously looking embarrassed. "We were playing football and I kind of ran into a girl."

"'Kind of ran into a girl?'" Joe repeated with a laugh. "From the way you told us yesterday, it sounded like you barreled her over into the ocean!"

"Well, who is she?" their father inquired getting irritated with the bickering between the brothers.

"Fine! I ran into this girl and we ended up in the ocean, okay!" Frank huffed. "She said her name was Daphne Blake." Joe's head swiveled quickly toward his brother, his eyes wide with glee. "What?"

"That's her name?" he cried. "You didn't tell me that!"

"Yes, I did."

"No, you said her name was Daphne. You neglected to say what her last name was."

"Get to the point, Joe!" Fenton boomed. "What does her name have to do with anything?"

"Any video gaming, cartoon watching teenager knows who Daphne Blake is, Dad," Joe replied matter-of-factly. "I'm surprised at you, Frank, for not knowing who she is right away considering you spend so much time on the internet."

"It's called school work, Joe," Frank retorted. "Maybe you should learn to do it."

"Okay, so who's Daphne Blake?" Laura asked.

"Hello? Scooby-Doo, anybody? It's my favorite cartoon!"

"Doh!" Frank cried slapping a hand on his forehead in frustration. "That's why her name sounded so familiar! How did I not figure that out?"

"I could give you one reason…" Joe smirked.

"Oh, shush, Joe," Laura ordered. "I'm still lost, you two."

"Daphne Blake is from Scooby's gang of sleuths," Joe explained. "She's like every little boy's fantasy."

"You mean _your_ fantasy, Joe?" laughed Frank.

"I'm serious here. She's a fictional character, Frank. Are you sure you didn't just hit your head and just imagined her?"

"No, she was real. I know it." He looked at his father. "Do you think maybe she could be the other investigator, Dad?"

"She could be especially if she's using an alias like that." Fenton thought about it. "I haven't gotten the whole story about who this person is but from what I gather, it is a woman but she's not working on the Hawkley case. In fact, it's a completely different case that's been active for a few weeks new. If the investigator is either Melody or Daphne, she's been here since right before Parker Hawkley vanished. I'm thinking it's Melody though since we know she was at that party last week. After Jim and his team get here, we'll know more about the other case. Until then, concentrate on finding Hawkley through Melody if you can. If you happen to run across Daphne, get her real name and maybe ask why she's using the alias. She could just be hiding from someone for all we know."

"How come we don't have any information on her anyway?" Joe asked.

"The agency running that show is keeping it hush to protect her, which I understand, but I have a feeling there's more to it than that."

"Great. So now we have two people to find. What else is new?"

"What kind of case is she working on anyway?" Frank wondered about the two girls he met the day before. One of them had to know where Hawkley was but the question was which one was it?

"Apparently, we have a pirate issue going on around here," Fenton explained. "Several ships have been attacked in the last few weeks with some of their cargo being taken by an unknown number of assailants. Even a few pleasure boats have been raided but mainly of jewelry and cash on hand. That's all I know."

"Do you think it's tied to our case though?"

"Who knows? I just want you to concentrate on finding Hawkley and, if you can, find the other investigator. Let the Coast Guard and Border Patrol handle the pirates. That's their responsibility. I don't want either one of you involved in it unless it's connected to Hawkley. Modern day pirates are a lot more ruthless than the ones in the history books."

"Arggh!" Joe mimicked in pirate voice, winking an eye. "There be pirates in them waters!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Hope you all are staying healthy and keeping your distance. Every time I say that I think of the movie **_**Demolition Man **_**with Sylvester Stallone. No one handshakes in the future or even touches another human being. God, I hope we're not heading in that direction! Haha! Honestly though, I'm not worried in the least but that's just me. I think the panic that people are manifesting is a little overdone but to each their own. Just for safety, we are well stocked on toilet paper (bought it weeks ago at Sam's) so I think we're good. Lol. Let's just hope my sanity stays now that my daughter's daycare was forced to close. With both girls at home, I will do my best to update when I can. The hubby has promised to watch the girls when he gets home from work so I'll have a little bit of quiet time (hopefully). Anyways, thank you so much for taking the time in reading the first chapter of the story and again, thank you for the reviews! To smithy, I knew someone would figure out the whole Daphne Blake character which is why I chose that particular name. I had another in mind but I didn't think anyone would figure it out so I didn't use it. There will be more on that later. To Drumboy100, I hope this chapter gives you a little bit more insight into to the timeline. What happened at the end of the prologue is **_**before**_** the Hardys arrive. Well, onward to the next chapter and beyond! Hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you will, please leave a review! I love hearing what you have to say! Until next time, be safe, be healthy, and God bless!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**Hope everyone is well and you're not going stir crazy yet. Thank you so much for the reviews! I am humbled to hear that you're loving this story so far! The support is just amazing! I hope that you enjoy the chapter and as always, if you would like to, please leave a review to tell me what you think. I love what you have to say and sometimes they come in handy when I need it the most. Have a great day and God bless!**

* * *

Chapter Three

By the time Frank and Joe arrived at the beach, it was after ten in the morning. There were already several hundred people sunbathing, playing in the sand, or setting up their spots for the day. The brothers could see Cal, Bridget, Jessie, and Brian already in their usual spot next to the private beach and jogged over to their friends but noticed Melody was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey there, Frank! Joe!" Cal waved to them, his smiling beaming. "We didn't think you'd ever get here!"

"We were delayed," Frank stated, looking annoyed at his brother, "because _somebody_ couldn't get their act together to get ready. I was ready to go at least an hour ago!"

"Hey!" Joe protested. "You can't hurry handsomeness, you know!"

"You take longer than Mom does, Joe!"

"Oh, I do not and you can ask her that the next time we see her." He looked around the group. "Where's Melody? I thought she'd be here already."

"Who knows?" Brian shrugged coming up behind Cal. Jessie and Bridget were setting up their towels, making sure their stuff was all together. "Sometimes I wonder why she sticks around. She's really doesn't do anything with us, per se. Last night was the first she ate dinner with us since we've been here. You guys seem cool though. It's good to have a few extra boys to hang out with. Jessie and Bridget tend to be drags at times."

A towel hit the back of his head and Cal, Frank, and Joe burst out laughing. Bridget glared at her boyfriend, her hands on her hips and his lips pursed.

"Drags are we, huh?" she said angrily.

"Babe, I didn't mean…"

"Don't you 'Babe' me, buster!" Bridget stormed forward jabbing a finger at him. "I didn't ask either one of you to come on this trip but yet here you are! Sometimes I wonder why I even date you because of your pigheadedness!"

"Hey, you know why we came, Bridge," Cal stepped in, defending his friend. "Mom and Dad didn't want you two alone down here and you know that! I thought we were going to have a little more fun with you two but nope. All either of you do is lie out in the sun or go get food from the concession. With all the food you buy, I'm surprised you haven't gained any weight!"

"I can't gain any weight because you two eat everything in sight!" she screamed. Several other beach goers stared at the group with disdain for the outburst. "I should be thanking you for that though since I really don't want any more pounds added to my ass! And for your information, Jessie and I have been planning this for a while now so don't you complain about you having to come with us!"

"Okay, okay," Cal said his voice lower. "You're making a scene, sis. I get it. You didn't want us to come but we're here so you just have to deal with it. One thing is that I don't even remember you mentioning Jessie in your phone calls home."

"That's really none of your business, Cal," Bridget defended. "Jessie and I have known each for a while now and we decided to take the trip for Spring Break back in December. We just didn't say anything until a week. I shouldn't have said anything until the day before so you wouldn't have had to come! We're just here to soak up the sun and enjoy the beach. Is that so hard?"

Jessie nudged her and motioned toward the Boardwalk. "Oh, right!" Bridget said. She looked at the boys just as Jessie started walking away. "Anything you guys want from the stands?"

"Do you have to ask? You know what I like," Brian smiled though he seemed a little put out by what she said earlier. Bridget nodded curtly then followed her friend leaving the four boys to their thoughts. "Man, why do I put up with that one?"

"Because you love her," Cal stated.

"Oh, yeah," his friend nodded. He looked to the brothers and clapped his hands. "So, more football?"

"Sure, but what was that all about, if you don't mind my asking," Frank replied. Although he was looking at Cal and Brian, his brother on the other hand was watching the girls out of the corner of his eye. "What's up with Jessie?"

"Oh, Jessie's just a friend of Bridget's from college," Cal answered nonchalantly. "We've actually never met her until Bridget came home with the idea about Spring Break. Like I said, we only came along because Mom didn't want her and Jessie to be alone."

"But why is she acting like that?"

"I have no idea," he shrugged. "Those two always go over to the stand right after we get here and return with our junk food for the day. I'm fine with it as long as they get some grub. I have no problem."

Frank nodded in acknowledgement though he wondered about Jessie. That made three girls they met who were acting strange. Any one of them could be the undercover investigator but what about the other two? Who were they and did they have anything to do with their case?

Joe nudged him bringing Frank back from his thoughts. "What?" he asked looking at him.

"I have to run to the bathroom real quick." Joe gave him a knowing look which Frank acted on.

"Thanks for telling us," he laughed nervously, rolling his eyes. "I sure hope you don't need any help too."

"Nope, I good," his brother said cheerfully, waving as he walked away.

"Hey, don't fall in now!" laughed Brian as the younger Hardy dashed off towards the public restrooms at the edge of the beach near the Boardwalk.

"Let's play some ball!" Frank whooped loudly trying to distract Cal and Brian. Sure enough, the moment the others turned away from the Boardwalk, Frank noticed Joe veer away from the bathrooms and toward the direction Jessie and Bridget went.

* * *

Joe walked toward the Boardwalk, wondering where the two girls went. The questioning Frank gave the others made him think about Jessie. She seemed more reserved than the other three and definitely not as bubbly as Bridget. When Cal mentioned the daily visits to the Boardwalk, it made Joe wonder if there was an ulterior motive. That was why Joe was searching for them, his eyes roaming for either one of the girls. In his haste and distraction, he walked right into someone, busting the soda she held all over her white top.

"Oh, my gosh!" he cried trying to wipe the soda off the girl he bumped into.

"What is with it with guys lately?" she muttered brushing off the drink. The stain on her top revealed a little more underneath making it hard for Joe to not look.

Eventually he looked at her face as she pulled off her sunglasses revealing blue eyes the color of the sky. Joe stared at her dumbfounded and thought maybe she was the girl Frank met the day before. If she was, it was no wonder his brother couldn't get her out of his head. She definitely was beautiful but mysterious at the same time. Her face was shadowed by a baseball hat so Joe couldn't see her features though he could see strands of light hair escaping the hat as she looked down at her clothes.

"Are…are you okay?" Joe asked unsure of how she'd react after her earlier remark.

The girl looked at him then sighed, her face a mask. "Yeah, I'm fine," she finally replied.

"At least let me buy you another drink…or maybe another top," he insisted. "It's the least I could do."

The girl looked around them as if searching for something or someone. Joe could see that she was nervous about something with the way she held herself. Suddenly a rather large man came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist bringing her toward him. The girl's eyes went wide in alarm making Joe wonder if the girl was in danger from him.

"Why, Daphne," the man replied with a heavy Cuban accent, "you had me worried there for a second. When you walked away, I thought maybe you left on purpose."

"N..no, Jorge," she stammered, her smile nervous. "I…I was just looking for you. I went to get a drink and was coming right back when he walked into me. It was an accident. Really."

Jorge looked at Joe through narrow eyes that made him feel slightly uncomfortable. Joe was big in his own right but Jorge looked intimidating. Between Daphne and him, they really didn't look like a couple and Joe had a feeling they really weren't. Jorge seemed more like a bodyguard or an overprotective boyfriend.

"Well, then, let's get you back to the house to change," Jorge replied. It sounded more like an order than a request. "After you change, then we'll talk about coming back later. Say goodbye to your friend here."

Daphne solemnly waved goodbye as she was led away but Joe couldn't help get the feeling she was in danger. She looked back at him as if pleading but he knew there was nothing he could do to help her. Within seconds the two were gone and Joe was left to his thoughts. Something was up and it definitely had something to do with Frank's mystery girl. Joe made a mental note to tell his brother what transpired, also noting to apologize for not believing him in the first place.

"Joe!" cried a cheerful voice, interrupting his mental thoughts. He turned to see Melody waving to him. Perfect. Just the person he wanted to see.

The girl came bounding up to him, her long locks down that day, the sun beaming off making her hair look like it was on fire. "What are you up to? I just saw Bridget and Jessie head back to the beach. Are you with them today?"

"What? Oh, yeah!" he replied shaking his head. "I was just, uh…looking for the bathroom."

"And you didn't see it on the beach?" she asked quizzically, her eyebrow arched. She shrugged then shook her head. "Men. You can't find anything without a map."

"Excuse me?" Joe looked at her incredulously.

"Oh, sorry," Melody said sheepishly. "I really wasn't talking about you and I didn't mean anything by it. Where's Frank?"

Noting the quick change in subject, Joe gave her a similar look she just made, his own eyebrow arched. He thought about their theories on her but he didn't say anything about them, wanting to wait until the right moment. He just answered her question as nicely as he could. "He's on the beach with the others. Aren't you joining us today?"

"Oh, no, I…I can't," she said glumly. "I have a few errands to run one of which was just around the corner. But I did hear through the grapevine that Martin Davenport is going to be hosting a masque dance party tomorrow night at his house. Make sure you let the others know, especially Frank. I'd like to dance with him sometime."

"Yeah, I'm sure he'd like that," Joe said though he mindfully added _Not!_ He knew his brother would balk at the thought of dancing with the girl…any girl for that matter. "I thought you had to be invited to them in order to get in. Are they not having that this time?"

"Oh, that," Melody waved her hand dismissively. "I'll meet you guys at our usual spot on the beach and get you in that way. Don't worry. I know a few people and besides, the invitations really aren't necessary at times. Just the more private and exclusive parties and this one isn't one of those."

"Okay." He looked at her. She seemed strangely pleasant after her outburst the night before and he wondered why she wasn't joining them that day. "Are you sure you can't come see us today? I'm sure Frank wouldn't mind it."

"As much as I'd like that," she smiled, "I have so much to do including finding a costume for tomorrow night. It's not formal but you do have to wear a mask of some sort. That's the fun part about it. You won't know who's who while you're there. Plus there are a few other things I have to do but I'm not going to bore you. Tell Frank I said 'hello' though!"

With that, she turned and walked away in the direction Jorge and Daphne went. Joe shook his head. Another strange encounter and it wasn't even noon yet. He needed to let everyone know about the party tomorrow night including his father. Maybe even have him look up Martin Davenport so they knew who they were dealing with. Maybe he was the same one who hosted the party Parker Hawkley disappeared from.

After stopping by the bathroom for real, Joe returned to find the others waiting for him. Frank looked concerned but blew a sigh of relief when he saw his younger brother.

"Where have you been?" he asked. "I was about to go look for you!"

"I had some…experiences that I need to tell you about," Joe said under his breath though unfortunately, Brian heard him.

"I told you not to fall in, Joe!" the boy guffawed. "But please, spare us the details."

Frank gave him a curious glance but Joe shook his head in response indicating that the two would talk later. Joe looked over at Jessie and Bridget who were talking quietly between themselves. He noticed Jessie looked upset while her friend tried to comfort her. Wondering what happened, Joe was about to go over to them when Cal whistled loudly. As one, the group turned to see where he was looking at.

The nearest beach house was the largest out of all of them with a sweeping deck that overlooked the ocean. Glass windows and doors lined the back of the house, all of which were open. Joe could only imagine what the view was from there but that's not what drew Cal or any of them to the house.

Standing on the deck was the girl he bumped into. At least that is who she looked like from a distance. Her top was changed and the baseball hat was gone revealing long, golden hair that even at that distance looked red. A bulky man who looked like Jorge stood nearby though he didn't say anything. There was a third person, a man who seemed to be arguing with Daphne. Within minutes, the argument was over with the girl trying to head toward the stairs to go down to the beach. Before she reached the third step though, Jorge lifted her up and carried her back into the house as she tried to get away from him. The other man followed close behind.

"What the hell was that about?" Cal asked looking upset. "Was that even legal?"

Jessie made a noise and quickly ran off as if needing to be somewhere else. Bridget followed close behind her.

"I don't know," Brian shrugged dumbfounded. He watched the girls rush off but didn't follow.

The Hardys exchanged look, both of them knowing what needed to be done next. Frank got out his cell phone and walked away while Joe used the time to talk to the others.

"Do you think she's okay?" he asked. She didn't look it but from experience, Joe knew looks could be deceiving. If the police were called about a domestic disturbance and it turned out to be nothing, it could hurt their investigation.

"I don't know but I do know that it's none of our business," Brian stated walking away. "Let the police handle it because you know someone had to have called them by now. But with the amount of money that's in that house, there's no telling what kind of power the person who owns it has in this area. I would just stay out of it."

As the boy walked away, Joe shook his head. He couldn't believe someone could be so crass after what they just witnessed. The only thing was that he somewhat agreed with him, understanding the whole power position. Frank tapped him on the shoulder and motioned for Joe to follow.

"What's up?"

"Dad's going to look into who owns that house," Frank stated quietly. He eyed Cal and Brian who were gathering their stuff, obviously ready to leave instead of sticking around. "Did you see her?"

"Yeah, I did," he said grimly. Joe explained the encounter he had in meeting Daphne, Jorge, and Melody on the Boardwalk. "I wasn't able to find out what Jessie and Bridget were up to but the whole thing with Daphne was definitely strange. She looked scared, to be honest but if you saw this Jorge guy up close, you'd understand. I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Frank."

"It's okay. I forgive you. You just owe me."

"You wish."

A few minutes later, Frank's phone chirped and he looked at it. "That was fast. Dad says that the house is owned by someone named Martin Davenport."

"Wait, that's the man Melody mentioned!" cried Joe, snapping his fingers. "She said that he's hosting the next party. It's tomorrow night and we're all invited."

"Then we need to make sure that we're there," replied Frank. "Maybe we can find out who Daphne is and possibly crack this case wide open!"


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

**I hope this finds everyone in good health and spirits. We will all get through this and when it's over, we will be better than we ever were before. My family and I had our own scare this weekend. My little one had a fever since Thursday and it spiked to 104. Took her to the doctor and found that she was on the verge of getting pneumonia. Thankfully, she is on the mend now but we are still monitoring her. It's hard since she's not talking just yet but we kind of get the gist of what's going on with her (she's been super duper fussy). She played with her older sister yesterday for the first time in days so that was a good sign. Just thankful that she is okay. I miss her smiles but the cuddles are sweet. Anyway, thank you to all who read the previous chapter and a special thank you to everyone who left a review. I was thinking as to how long this story will be and in all honesty, it probably won't go past 15 chapters. That's at most (hopefully). It's moving pretty quickly but you have to remember all the juicy details that keep coming! This one is a long chapter so I'll let you get to it. As always, I hope that you enjoy the chapter and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Until next time, have a great week and God bless!**

* * *

Chapter Four

"What do we do till this party tomorrow night?' Joe asked looking over at Brian and Cal who seemed oblivious to everything around them. The two were just about done gathering everything including Bridget's and Jessie's items. Frank's phone suddenly rang again before he could answer his brother.

"Maybe Dad has a suggestion," he mumbled as he walked away to answer his phone.

While waiting, Joe went to help the others though Cal and Brian were now sitting on the sand eating the food the girls bought earlier. Joe sat down next to Cal and grabbed a drink, taking a swig a moment later.

"Hey, Joe," Cal said. "Everything okay? Frank seems to be on the phone a lot lately."

"Yeah, it's nothing," he waved nonchalantly. "Frank has some major tests coming up and he wants to get a head start on them. He's just talking to a few classmates, I think."

"But isn't he on Spring Break?" Brian asked confused. "Why would he need to study when he can party? At least that's what I do while I'm on break. I have no inclination of doing any school work until the moment I get back to PA."

"Uh…" Joe thought quickly for another excuse. Anything he said might be jeopardized if Frank said something completely different when he returned. Joe was just going to have to take that chance. "Yeah, he's on Spring Break but you don't know him like I do. He lives to learn. It's really annoying at times too. Besides he tutors others so it's probably just them trying to get help before the tests."

"Oh, okay," Brian shrugged, seemingly satisfied at the answer. He turned around and smiled when he saw Jessie and Bridget standing behind them. Brian scrambled to get up, his earlier annoyance with Bridget gone. "Babe! Everything okay?"

"Yep, we're fine," she smiled squeezing her friend's hand. Joe could see Jessie was still upset but she was hiding it as best she could. She held her cell phone tightly in her hand as if clinging to life itself. He wondered what was going on but he didn't think she would open up to him if he asked.

"Why did you guys pack up anyway?" Bridget asked looking at her brother confused. "We still have a few more hours of daylight left to soak up the rays."

"You still want to stay out here after all that?" Brian asked. "I thought you two would want to go back to the hotel since Jessie looks like she's about to throw up."

"Yeah," Joe nodded. "I'm fine with going anywhere but here. Besides I saw Melody not long ago and she invited us all to a party tomorrow night. She said it was a masque, whatever that means."

"It means a party!" cried Cal. Brian whooped and the two chest bumped. "I don't care if it's a toga party! A party's a party!"

Bridget smiled then looked at her friend who seemed somewhat happy to hear the news. Jessie smiled at them all though it didn't reach her eyes. Bridget whispered something to her and Jessie nodded.

"What I miss?" Frank called out cheerfully, jogging up to them.

"Only news of a party!" Brian cried then he laughed. "How's the schoolwork for ya? Did you get any dates from girls asking for help?"

"Huh?"

Joe nudged him. Neither one of them saw the look of interest Jessie gave the brothers. "I was just telling Cal and Brian about the extra schoolwork you're doing to get ready for your tests," Joe replied giving his brother a knowing look. "What was it this time: a professor or a coed?"

"Oh, right," Frank nodded though he still looked confused. "Just someone making a suggestion. Nothing I couldn't handle but I have to get back to the hotel to write something down. So I take it you told them about Melody's invite to that party tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's what I just said!" Joe smirked and shook his head. "I think the girls probably want to do a little shopping to get ready for it. I don't know about you but I'm ready for a nap."

"You would be," his brother nudged him. Frank turned to the others, looking mainly at Jessie. "You guys are coming to the party, right?"

"Of course we are!" Bridget said excitedly, her eyes sparkling. Jessie nodded though she avoided Frank's stare. "You two will be here tomorrow right? That way we can work it out as to what we're doing."

A few minutes later, the group separated with the teens from Pennsylvania heading toward the Boardwalk shops on foot while Frank and Joe went to their to head out. Their father wanted to see them although they kept that tidbit to themselves.

"What else did Dad say?" Joe asked once they were on their way back to their hotel.

"Not much," Frank answered his eyes on the road. "He wants us to go to that party tomorrow night, that's for sure. We need to concentrate on talking to Melody and if we can find her, Daphne as well. Though if she's being held prisoner at Davenport's house, I'm not sure she'll be in attendance at the party. Maybe the police will be able to find her when they go there, that is if they were called."

"Even if they were, somehow I don't think they'll find her," the younger Hardy shook his head. "Brian's right. The money that was put into that beach house is sure to buy a lot of clout in the area. Daphne's probably long gone by now. Whatever happened will more than likely be covered up by the time the cops arrive. I think we're the only ones who believe she's in danger anyway though Bridget and Jessie were upset about what we saw. Brian and Cal didn't seem to care about much of anything but at least they're fun to be around."

"I do agree with you, Joe." Frank turned into the parking lot of their hotel. "When I bumped into her yesterday, Daphne seemed distracted, almost paranoid to a point. She kept looking around but I thought it was just me."

"It probably was."

"Joe!"

"I get it!"

"I also got the same vibe from Jessie just now but it wasn't nervousness," Frank continued. "She was clearly upset about what happened at Davenport's house. I'm wondering if she knows more than she's telling us."

"Maybe she knows Daphne and who she really is, big brother," Joe shrugged. "Jessie is definitely someone we need to look into more. I think she's hiding something though Cal and Brian have no clue but I'm beginning to think Bridget does. Those two girls are stuck together like glue all the time."

"I agree," Frank nodded. He pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine. Neither brother got out as the two thought about what to do next. "Maybe tomorrow we can get one of them alone to talk, to maybe convince them to confide in us. That party will help in that even though it's not until the evening. Let's ask Dad to see if he can get any information on the others. It might shed a light on things."

The brothers went into the hotel and by the time they were settled in their parents' suite it was after two in the afternoon.

"So, what did you two learn after I spoke with you earlier?" Fenton asked plopping into the chair across from them.

"Not much more, Dad," Frank answered. He told his father their suspicions of Jessie and Bridget then Joe gave a detailed account of his encounters with Daphne, Jorge, and Melody.

"That poor girl," Laura said sadly after hearing about Daphne. "I hope she's okay. Do you think she's being held against her will?"

"That's what it looks like, Mom," Joe nodded grimly. "She looked terrified of Jorge. I would too. He's bigger than me."

"Fenton, is there anything we can do to help her?" she asked looking over at her husband.

He sighed. "I spoke with Jim and they're going to send a patrol car over to ask questions about the domestic violence, if that was indeed what it was. I haven't heard anything back from him yet but Jim and his group should be here soon to set up. They'll be working out of this suite so as not to raise suspicion downstairs and all of the agents are checking in separately. This suite will be their main work area. That's why your mother and I are here."

Moments later, there was a knock at the door and Fenton ordered the boys into the bedroom just in case it was someone other than Jim Taylor. Laura quickly cleaned up any remnants of their presence before Fenton answered the door. But all the preparations became moot when the door opened revealing an older man in a loose-fitting suit.

"Jim!" Fenton cried when he saw his old friend and partner.

Jim Taylor had grey throughout his hair giving away his true age though his face looked young. He had green eyes that looked sharply around the room before the two hugged briefly. Behind him were a few other agents though they came in sporadically until the room was filled. All of the agents looked like they were ready to go to the beach. Laura retrieved Frank and Joe from the bedroom and they all settled around the dining room table to discuss the case. After taking several moments to tell their progress, the boys waited for Agent Taylor to speak.

"Well, it sounds like you've gotten several pieces of information that we haven't been able to get," the man said. "Though I don't really hear anything about Parker Hawkley. Have you heard or seen anything that would lead us to him?"

"No, sir," Frank shook his head solemnly. "It's like he doesn't exist but then again we haven't really gotten that far with the group we're with. They seem to want to have fun which is normal."

"Which is what I'd like to be doing," grumbled Joe. Laura tsked at him, giving her son a look.

"Well, we've received more information about the other case though it's sketchy at best," the agent continued. "Border Patrol and the Coast Guard are not really forthcoming with anything more but they are going to be meeting us here tomorrow at noon to give us the full details. We will more than likely find out who this other investigator is as well. All we really know is that it's a woman and she's not one of their agents. I'm wondering what your theories are on who it is though."

"Why tomorrow?" Joe inquired. "I mean, isn't it just as important to find her as it is finding Parker Hawkley with the way everything going right now? My bet is that it's Daphne Blake. She's the only one we don't really have anything on besides the fact that more than likely it's a fake name. Who actually has the name of a cartoon character anyway?"

"You would be surprised, young man," smirked Taylor. "We'll look into her and see what we find. Anyone else?"

"Yeah, Melody Banks is another one," Frank stated. "There's something about her and Joe said that she was 'running errands' today. As far as we know, she's always on the beach with the group we met. And she showed up right after Daphne and Jorge left."

"Which makes me think its Daphne!" cried Joe exasperated. "Besides, what about Jessie? She was royally upset right after we saw the fight on Davenport's deck. Remember we were thinking that maybe she knows who Daphne really is."

"Right," his brother nodded.

"Okay, then we'll look into everyone one that you've met," Taylor replied. "Do we know who this Jorge is? His last name maybe?" The brothers shook their heads grimly. "Well then, maybe it'll come up when we look more into Davenport. From what I gather, he's the Border Patrol's top suspect for the pirate raids though they don't believe that he joins in. Whatever we find out between now and tomorrow may or may not help their case any more than our own. The group running the other operation has been very adamant about keeping it hush hush for a reason. The investigator is in deep and they don't want Davenport or anyone knowing who she really is. That information would not only compromise the situation but apparently it could damage more than what we already know about."

"What does that mean?" Fenton asked surprised to hear the new development.

"I don't know but we'll find out tomorrow. Maybe they'll explain it better and be a little more forthright with us."

"Well, maybe Laura and I can find out some information when we go on that dinner cruise this evening," he announced. Frank and Joe were in shock to hear the news. "Maybe the employees on the ship will open up to us if we ask."

"You're using an alias, I hope."

"Of course," he nodded. "I wouldn't put out our real names because of Frank and Joe's case. Whoever it is might put two and two together."

"Dad, I thought we weren't working the pirate case," Frank stated looking confused.

"I said _you_ weren't working the case," his father reiterated. "It's too dangerous for you two. I know that the young lady, whoever she is, is working this case on her own but I don't think they realized how dangerous it was until it was too late. I have a feeling that you're going to end up finding her anyway and possibly get involved in the end but as of right now, you're not doing anything with that case. Am I clear?"

* * *

Later that evening, Fenton escorted Laura towards the marina. Although Jim insisted a few agents tag along, Fenton assured his friend and his sons that they would be okay for the evening.

Their dinner cruise wasn't on a large ship but it was quaint, about the size of a small yacht. Once they were on the deck, the couple waited for the ship to set sail before going inside to their table. The night was perfect with a slight wind blowing. The sun had yet to set so Fenton and Laura watched the waves come and go as the ship pulled away from the dock. The cruise was to last several hours with a nice five-course meal and entertainment afterwards.

"Do you think the boys will be okay tonight?" Laura asked once they were settled at their table. "I mean you were harsh about them not being a part of the pirates case."

"I know I was," he sighed, "but from what we've heard about the raids, these pirates can be pretty ruthless. They put several people in the hospital already. I just don't want the boys involved unless it's absolutely necessary."

"What about the other investigator? I'm sure she knew what she was getting herself into."

"Somehow I feel that no one knew how the pirates would be," Fenton shook his head. "They didn't start becoming violent until after she was already on the case, though I am concerned that they'll hurt the young woman in the end. This Davenport guy is slippery, at least that is what I'm getting from the information we already have, especially after what we heard from the police stopping by that house earlier."

"What did they find anyway?"

"Nothing really." He scoffed at the idea. "They were told it was just a misunderstanding. The young woman Frank and Joe saw was already gone by the time the police got there but then again, they never entered the house to actually look. The police went by Davenport's word. I know Frank and Joe were telling the truth about what they saw. I just hope it doesn't jeopardize their case. That party needs to go on tomorrow night or we're never going to get another chance to find Parker Hawkley or the other investigator. Someone wants her back quickly before everything blows up I'm just not sure why."

Fenton stopped for a moment, staring at the table deep in thought. Seconds later he looked back up at Laura, his eyes full of concern.

"What?" she asked.

"What if…no, he wouldn't let her do anything remotely dangerous," he shook his head. "Forget I said anything."

"Tell me what's on your mind, Fenton. There's no one here to stop you."

Fenton sighed. "Do you remember what the boys told us about the two girls they've met? Daphne and Melody? What did they look like?"

"Hmm." Laura thought about it for a moment before speaking. "That they were pretty and had blonde hair. Joe even went so far as to say that Daphne was hot, his words not mine. Why?"

"I don't know why," he stated. He bit his lip in thought. "There's something coming to mind but I don't think it's possible. Frank was very specific about one of the girls. Daphne, I believe it was. He said she had the bluest eyes he'd ever seen."

"Sounds like he's got a crush on her," Laura smiled.

"Laura, I'm serious."

"So am I. It'll be good for him to have someone for once instead of studying all the time. There are times I wonder about him."

"Are you literally trying to set him up with a girl we don't even know about? What if she's a psycho?"

"I highly doubt that, Fenton," Laura laughed. "I got that vibe from the description of the other one, Melody. It's okay for Frank to think about a girl for once."

"Focus, Laura."

"Okay."

"What I'm saying is what if we know her already?"

"But you just said…"

"Forget what I said," Fenton replied quickly. He stopped for a moment to think. "Never mind. There's no way it's who I'm thinking."

"Who's that?"

He looked at his wife and saw the determination in her face. Before he said anything more their meal was set in front of them and he stared down at the salad and bread on the table. Fenton had completely forgotten how hungry he was and immediately began eating his food while Laura stared at him expectantly.

"Fenton."

"What?"

"You know what."

Fenton stopped eating and sighed. Wiping his mouth, he took the time to chew his salad as she stared at him intently. "Okay, fine. Do you remember what Kate looked like?"

"Of course I do! I was her best friend!" Laura cried though she kept her voice down. "What does that have anything to do with what we're talking about?"

"Humor me, Dear."

"Well, I remember she had golden hair with flecks of red, what most people would call a strawberry blonde." Laura stopped to think before continuing. "And she was really pretty but modest to a point."

"And?"

"Her eyes were…crystal blue." Laura's eyes went wide with the realization. "You don't actually think it's her?"

"No, not Kate."

"Then…"

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking."

"But, Fenton, I highly doubt he would let her do something as dangerous as this after what happened to Kate."

He sighed. "I don't know what to think anymore. Maybe she's here on her own."

"Or maybe you're hoping it's her to make up for what happened to her mother." Laura folded her arms in front of her, her meal somewhat forgotten.

"Don't you think I don't know that?" Fenton hissed leaning forward. "I have tried to get in contact with him and he hasn't taken my phone call ever in the past sixteen years! All I've wanted to do is apologize!"

"Fenton, it wasn't your fault what happened to Kate." Laura reached across the table and took her husband's hand, squeezing it tight. "She knew what she was doing as I'm sure whoever this girl is knows too."

"But Laura, I was there," Fenton said sadly, his eyes welling slightly. "I…I watched her die. There was nothing I could do. Jim remembers too though he doesn't like to talk about it. It's the reason why he left the force not long after. Same thing with Carson. He took Nancy and we haven't seen either one of them in years. What if it is her? The descriptions Frank and Joe gave us directly point to her. What could I say to Carson if I let something happen to his daughter as well? Carson would make sure I rotted in jail the rest of my life."

"No, he wouldn't." Laura smirked. Fenton looked at his wife curiously. "He would make sure you got the death penalty."

"Laura!"

"Okay, okay," she held up her hands in defense. "If it happens to be Nancy, then make sure you bring her home, that's all. Maybe then Carson will finally listen to you."

"You know that's not the reason why I would want to find her," he said giving her a look.

"I know that." Laura thought for a moment. "Are you going to tell the boys about your theory?"

"No." Fenton looked down at his plate. "I want to get more information before I do."

"Do you think Frank remembers anything?"

"If he does, he's never let on," he shook his head. "Let's just enjoy the rest of our evening and talk more later."

"Okay, you brought it up," Laura mumbled.

"Laura…"

Their meal was delicious and a few minutes after finishing their dessert, the couple went out onto the deck to enjoy the setting sun. As Laura looked out into the ocean, Fenton wrapped his arms around her and held her close, never wanting the moment to end. He still thought about their earlier conversation but he couldn't bring himself to believe that the other investigator was indeed Nancy Drew. Trying to bring himself out of that thought process, Fenton took in the smell of coconut in his wife's hair and closed his eyes. He didn't say anything more until Laura called his name.

"Fenton?"

"Hmm?"

"I…I think the ship stopped."

Fenton's eyes popped open. He could no longer feel the hum of the ship's engine beneath his feet. The couple looked around wondering what was going on. Their answer came a moment later when another large vessel pulled up next to them. They stared at the ship in shock and soon realized that they were about to be invaded by pirates.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Fenton took out his phone and began dialing Taylor's number but soon realized that there was no signal although he had one moments before. Frustrated he put his phone back into his pocket and looked around for anything to fight back with when another idea suddenly popped into his head. He noticed a door nearby and took Laura by the hand. Opening the door, Fenton saw that it was a closet and pushed his wife inside.

"What are you doing?" she hissed looking around.

"I need you to be really quiet, Laura," he said softly. Fenton leaned his forehead against hers. "Promise me you won't move no matter what happens."

"Fenton, you're scaring me," she whispered looking into his eyes. "Please don't leave me here!"

"I'm not going to be gone long," he assured her. "I need to check out that ship."

"No you don't! Stay here with me! Leave it the Coast Guard! They'll be here soon!"

"No, they won't, Laura!" Fenton heard screams coming from further away and he knew he had little time before the raiders were upon them. He moved into the closet with her and closed the door. "My cell phone has no signal so I wouldn't be surprised if the pirates had a device that stopped the signals from reaching our phones. There's no one coming anytime soon but I have to go investigate that ship! This is my only chance!" He kissed her tenderly and held her head in his hands. "I know what I'm doing, Laura. I love you."

"I love you too," she nodded tears flowing down her cheeks.

Before he was able to leave the closet, they heard footsteps on the other side of the closet and the couple stopped their verbal communication to listen in.

"Do we have everyone?" a man said gruffly, his voice heavily accented.

"I'm not sure," replied a female voice that surprised Fenton and Laura. "The manifest states that there is one other couple but they're missing. Our contact isn't sure if they were on board or not when the ship set sail. Should we search for them?"

"No!" yelled the man. "We only have a short window before someone suspects and sends the Coast Guard. You know what he said. Let's get what we came for and go."

With that, Fenton and Laura heard the two leave, their footsteps becoming distant. Blowing out a sigh of relief, he kissed his wife one more time before easing the door open. The deck was clear and Fenton slipped out of the closet, closing the door behind him.

Knowing that he didn't have much time to spare, he quickly crept along the deck, listening for any footsteps along the way. The pirates' ship, which was nothing more than a retrofitted schooner, was parallel to the dinner cruise ship with a gang plank connecting the two. Fenton was surprised to see that there were no guards on duty and shook his head as to how mind-numbingly stupid criminals could be. He crossed the gang plank and hit the deck when he heard two men talking on the cruise ship but they didn't cross over onto the schooner.

"He wants us to get everything," one of them stated, hefting a bag onto the deck. "Think we'll get everything?"

"I'm sure we will," laughed the other. "Some of the jewelry that's on these people are worth a pretty penny so I'm making sure we have it all."

Their conversation died out and Fenton slowly popped his head over the top of the railing to see an empty deck, blowing out the breath he was holding. He moved quickly, knowing he had only a few minutes before the pirates returned. Going below deck, Fenton found the cockpit right away. It was messy but in an organized sort of way. The instruments were off as was the engine, the control panel completely dark. A table was nearby with a small mound of papers lying on top. Fenton picked up one and whistled.

"No wonder these guys have never been caught," he muttered. He found trade routes and shipping lanes along with a map of the line for international waters. Another map in particular outlined the routes and stations that the US Coast Guard used. All the pirates had to do was avoid the areas at certain times and they were assured to never be caught when they raided boats and ships. Still he wondered why anyone would want to raid a simple dinner cruise ship.

Fenton took pictures of each page and map with the intent on sending them on to Agent Taylor the moment there was a signal. Just as he was about to leave the area, a row of video screens caught his eye. Halting, Fenton noticed a young man sitting on the floor of an empty room. He looked dirty and haggard but Fenton had a feeling as to who he was even though the video was black and white and grainy. Taking a picture of the screen, he moved on to another. This room was different as if inside a house. A four poster bed was in the middle with furniture spread around the room. That wasn't what caught his eye though. A young woman with long hair knelt next to the door, fiddling with the knob and within seconds the door was open. She cautiously looked out before slipping out of the room. Fenton was sure he just witnessed someone escaping their prison. He wondered who she was but his thoughts were soon dashed when he heard voices coming from above. The pirates were returning!

Fenton looked around the small room finding no place he could hide. Then he saw something that gave him an idea. A bottle of Tequila sat on a counter next to the instrument panel. Grabbing it, Fenton took a small swig of it to have the liquor on his breath then doused himself to make his clothes smell. When the door opened, Fenton plopped on the ground and started singing loudly making it seem as if he were drunk.

"What the hell?" replied a voice. A masked man came around the corner, his gun drawn at Fenton. "Where did you come from?"

"Oh, hey!" Fenton smiled, his head teetering. His eyes went wide when he saw the gun and he stumbled trying to get off the floor. "I mean you no harm. I was just…just…looking for…what was I saying? I don't know. I can't remember. Is this a part of the dinner cruise?"

"He's drunk," a female voice muttered coming from a smaller person behind the first.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious!" scoffed the man. "How did he get on the ship without us knowing?"

"I'm not on my ship?" Fenton asked, slurring his words heavily. He swayed, almost falling into the man who pushed him off, sending him into the table. "I'll just be…"

"Shut up!" the man cried, lowering his gun.

"Dav…"

"Shh!"

"Like the guy's going to remember anything!" cried the woman. Fenton listened intently his heart pounding. He had a feeling as to who she was about to name and he cursed the man for being smart for once. "Let's throw him overboard and skedaddle. The Coast Guard is more than likely on its way since we know the ships are in constant contact with them."

"Then get him out of here!" ordered a new person. Fenton recognized the voice as the one with the heavy accent that he heard while still on the dinner cruise ship. "Let the fishes have him. A drunk is none of our concern. He probably got dumped by his date which is why we couldn't find him earlier!"

"Now wait just a minute," Fenton pointed out, trying to stop two men from taking hold of him. He was thankful that he put away his phone before they arrived but that might not save the pictures he took if he were to be thrown into the ocean. His phone was water resistant but complete submerging might fry it. "I can get off myself. Just…point me in the right direction."

"We'll point you in the 'right direction,'" someone snickered. The two men each took one of Fenton's arms and half-guided, half-carried him onto the main deck. He turned around just in time to witness the man and woman take their masks off though Fenton didn't recognize either one of them.

A wind picked up bringing him back to his predicament. They were just about to the railing when Fenton realized the gang plank was gone and the dinner cruise ship was a good distance away, swaying to the currents. He looked down at the water, his eyes growing wide again.

"Uh, can't you guys reconsider?" he asked nervously.

The two men ignored him and pushed him into the dark, churning waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

* * *

Frank and Joe spent the evening surveilling Davenport's house from a distance. They were parked in the beach parking lot not far from the row of beach houses where only a few still had lights on in the evening. The Boardwalk still had a lot of activity though it was approaching nine in the evening. Davenport's house was just as active with several people coming in and out throughout the time they were there. Frank figured it was for the party the next night in which they hoped to find some clue as to the whereabouts of Parker Hawkley and Daphne Blake. Jorge was seen entering the house not long after eight in the evening carrying a large bag.

"Do you think she's still in there?" Joe asked interrupting Frank's thoughts. The older Hardy sighed but didn't say anything. "Frank?"

"I don't know, Joe," he finally answered. "It seems as if Davenport is pretty popular tonight. Daphne, or whoever she is, is the only one we haven't seen yet. I just hope she's not dead."

"I'm sure you do," muttered his brother. Frank slowly shifted his head toward Joe, giving him an annoyed look. "I get it. You want to rescue the damsel in distress."

"Joe, you're about to get a butt load of hurt if you don't shut up."

"Are you Fred to her Daphne?" Joe snickered. He stopped when Frank lashed out, punching him in the arm. "Ow! I'm telling Mom you were manhandling me!"

"Go ahead," he challenged. "I'm sure she'll do the same when I tell her you were bugging me again."

"That's what little brothers are supposed to do!"

"And pounding you into the ground is what an older brother is supposed to do!"

"Yeah, but do you have to be so rough?" Joe rubbed his arm.

"Do you have to be such an ass?"

The brothers glared at each other though neither of them wanted to continue the argument. Frank continued to watch Davenport's house though his interest was suddenly waning. It was several minutes before Joe said something.

"I'm hungry."

"What else is new?"

"How bout I go get something to eat?"

"More power to you."

"You want anything?"

"You know what I like."

Joe watched his brother for a moment. "You're not going to do something stupid, are you?"

Frank looked at his younger brother then shook his head. "No, I plan on sitting here until you get back. I'm hungry too."

"Great! I'll be right back!"

"Famous last words," Frank laughed as Joe got out of the car and walked away. Leaning his head back on the headrest, he closed his eyes and sighed. There was so much going on in is mind that he almost couldn't think straight. That and the fact that he hadn't eaten since lunch.

After their parents left for the marina and their dinner cruise, the brothers decided to go out for dinner. Unfortunately they were sidetracked by a man fitting the description of Martin Davenport who entered a restaurant with a young woman. The restaurant was upscale and expensive so the two remained in the car until the couple walked out an hour later. Although the girl wasn't Daphne, the brothers followed the couple back to his house where she left minutes later. They had been sitting in the car ever since waiting for something to happen and completely skipped dinner in the process.

Frank lifted his head to surveil the house once more to find Davenport standing on the front stoop barking orders to Jorge and one other man. Slouching lower in the driver's seat, Frank lowered the window to hear what was being said.

"Find that little brat!" Davenport yelled pointing toward the Boardwalk. "And don't come back until you do! This is getting ridiculous! I should have made her disappear in the first place with all the trouble she's causing!"

Jorge nodded before storming off with the other man in tow. Frank's heart skipped a beat at the words. He had a feeling as to who Davenport was talking about but he wondered why she was so important. _It doesn't sound like he knows who she is_ Frank thought. Why was the man so adamant about finding his houseguest? Why not just let her go? But the only ones who could answer that were Davenport and Daphne and there was no way Frank would be able to get answers from either one of them at that moment.

Frank waited until Jorge was gone and Davenport was back inside his house before sitting up in the seat. He looked out the back window, wondering what was taking Joe so long in bringing back the food. Knowing that he should remain in the car, Frank got out and followed in the direction Jorge went, keeping to the shadows. It was the only thing he could think of to do hoping maybe he would come across the person the goons were looking for before they did. Maybe Joe would understand.

* * *

"Thanks!" Joe smiled taking the bag of take-out from the pretty hostess. She smiled back before walking away as he took in the aromas of the food inside the bag. It smelled amazing, tempting Joe to sit down to eat but he knew Frank would get upset if he didn't get back soon especially with cold food.

Sighing, Joe hefted the bag and began to walk back to the parking lot when he heard a scuffle nearby. He stopped to look around but saw nothing that would generate the sound. Continuing on, Joe was just about to an alley when he heard a muffled scream coming from the general direction. Eyeing around the corner he saw two large men trying to subdue a third person who was literally half their size. The street lights didn't reach the alley so the three were all in shadow but whoever the person was, the smaller one was putting up a massive fight. That was when Joe realized that it was a woman the men were trying to subdue. She kicked out at one man while the other held on to her from behind, lifting her off the ground in a fierce hug.

Joe set the food on the ground and took a deep breath. Without Frank as backup, he knew he was stepping into a lion's den but he felt that the woman needed help no matter who it came from. He stepped around the corner to face the three. "Hey!" he yelled. The two men stopped abruptly while the woman continued to struggle. "How about taking on someone your own size?"

The woman took advantage of the situation by ramming her elbow into the stomach of the man holding her. He cried out and doubled over, letting her go. She dropped down to the ground in a squat as the other man rounded on her.

"Oh, no you don't, you little shit!" he cried. Joe immediately recognized the voice as being Jorge's and knew the woman had to be Daphne. She didn't seem as afraid of him as she was earlier in the day either. Jorge ignored Joe which turned out to be a mistake for the large man. The young Hardy rushed in, tackling the much larger man, throwing him to the ground.

"Get out of here!" Joe cried to Daphne who rose from the ground staring at him in surprise. Her moment of weakness gave the other man the chance to grab her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Joe was pushed away by Jorge as if he were nothing, slamming him into the wall.

"This doesn't concern you, boy!" the man snarled. "Best be going before you get yourself hurt."

"I don't know if I can, meathead," Joe quipped. "Two men assaulting a girl is hardly something to ignore. Why don't you leave her alone?"

"Fat chance," he laughed. His smile grew bigger when he saw something behind Joe.

"Look out!" cried a voice but it was too late.

As he began to turn around, something hit Joe from behind causing his knees to buckle. He hit the pavement as another blow came and his vision blurred. The last thing he remembered was red hair and sultry blue eyes staring down at him before darkness engulfed him.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I hope this reaches everyone in good health. Thank you to all for the reviews and for the get well wishes for my little one. She has been up and smiling, being a normal two-year-old and it makes me happy that she's okay. Too bad she doesn't like the antibiotics she has to take until Sunday but that's definitely normal. I have another week of no school as well since the governor closed the schools until the week before Easter which is supposed to be Spring Break so that means it probably won't be until AFTER Easter that I go back to work and my oldest one goes to school. At least I've been able to get out this chapter which was written faster than I expected it to be. I loved writing it though! Again, thank you for the support on this story so far! I'm glad that you're reading and enjoying it as we go along the journey. I will try for another chapter by the end of the week as well though it may be sometime over the weekend when it's published. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and if you will, please leave a review. I love hearing what you think of it! Have a great rest of the week and God bless! Stay healthy!**


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Of all the stupid things for you to do, Fenton Hardy, this one takes the cake!" Laura scolded her hands on her hips. Her husband shivered, pulling the blanket wrapped around him closer. The crew of the dinner cruise had just pulled him out of the water minutes before. "You could have been killed, for Christ's sake!"

"I know that, Laura," he retorted, rolling his eyes. "But it was worth it."

"What would you say if one of the boys did something like this? Huh?" she demanded. "I'm sure you would be scolding them just like I am to you!"

"But then I would be applauding them for what they found!" Fenton smirked. Laura took a step back in surprise. "I think I just blew open the case!"

"Why do you say that?"

Fenton looked around to make sure no one else was listening in on him then he lowered his voice, leaning forward as he spoke. "Because the pirates are the ones who have Parker Hawkley. I saw him on video. They have him somewhere though I'm not sure where. It looks like he was in a cell of some sort."

"Are you serious?" she asked, her mood suddenly changing. "This is great news, Fenton! Did you find anything else?"

He nodded with a large smile then held out his phone. The moment he broke the surface after plunging into the ocean, Fenton pulled out his phone and swam with his arm raised in the air to keep the device from getting any more wet. It took him longer than normal but he made it back with the phone somewhat intact. When he tried to turn on the phone though it wouldn't power up.

"Dang it!" he cried. Fenton looked around the deck and saw a steward not far from him. "You there! Do you know where I can find some rice?"

The steward nodded when Fenton held up his phone helplessly then disappeared only to return moments later with a bag filled with uncooked rice. Thanking the man, he took his phone apart and dropped it into the rice, praying that it worked in the end. Fenton went on to tell Laura everything he found on the ship and of the pictures he took.

"No wonder they've never been caught!" she exclaimed.

"That's exactly what I said," he nodded. "This is the break that we needed. Now I just hope that we can find out where Parker is being held and end this."

"Also the other investigator and they we'll bring down the pirate ring with it!"

Fenton nodded again then brought his wife in for a fierce hug. He too had been worried the moment he hit the water but now that he was on the ship again, he was sure that they were going to solve everything quickly. He just hoped his sons behaved themselves while they were gone.

* * *

Joe heard noises around him and then someone helped him sit up causing him to groan loudly.

"Can you hear me, son?" asked a concerned male voice.

"Yeah, Dad, I can hear you." Someone laughed and he swatted a hand away then opened his eyes. The man who looked back at him could only be slightly seen in the darkness but it definitely was _not_ Fenton Hardy. "You're not…"

"No," he said with a kind smile, "but I'm glad that you're able to speak. Are you okay?"

"Besides a pounding headache and my stomach growling, I'm good."

"Well, at least you have your sense of humor," the man laughed. "Can you get up or do you need an ambulance?"

"No, thanks," Joe waved him off. "I don't do hospitals."

"Spoken like a true hero."

Joe was slow to get up but stopped when he looked around. The alley was empty save for him and his savior. He looked at the man in alarm. "Where'd they go?"

"Where'd who go?"

"The guys who attacked me!" Joe stood up to quickly and swayed before leaning on the wall. "And…and the girl!"

"The only girl I saw flagged me down for help you then took off before I could catch her name," the man answered.

"What did she look like?"

"Kind of reddish, blondish hair, blue eyes, about twenty or so," he described. "She looked like she was in trouble too."

"That sounds like the girl I was trying to help," Joe nodded.

"Do you want me to call the police? I've only been here a few minutes and didn't have the chance to call yet."

"No, it's not needed," the young Hardy shook it off. In reality, he didn't want to bring attention to himself. Too many questions.

"Joe!" The two turned to see Frank rushing up to them, his features hidden by shadows. He eyed the man before looking to his brother. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just danced with a couple of real charmers."

"I found him in the alley unconscious," the man explained calmly. "He should really see a doctor."

"I'll bet," Frank laughed. "Try telling my idiot brother that."

"Well, at least let me help you get out of the alley and back to your hotel." With that, he took Joe's arm and along with Frank, the three slowly moved back to the street where the lights illuminated them. It was the first time either Hardy saw the man in the light. He was older, maybe fifty with graying temples. The jeans and polo shirt seemed completed the look of a tourist. What surprised them though was the look on his face as he glanced at Frank, making the young man slightly uncomfortable.

"Uh…thank you for helping my brother, Mr. …"

"My pleasure," the man smiled, shaking his head as if clearing cobwebs. "Are you sure you're all right, Joe, is it?"

"Yeah, I'm good," Joe nodded. He too noticed the stare and avoidance of Frank's inquiry into his name. "Nothing that a hot shower and a good night's rest couldn't cure. What do you say we get back to our hotel, like the man said, Frank."

The older man's eyes went back to Frank though he didn't say anything.

"Uh, right, Joe," Frank replied cautiously stepping away. "Let's get you that hot shower. Thanks again, sir."

As the two brothers quickly strolled away, they felt as if the strange man was watching them intently. Neither one of them said a word until they were safely in the car, driving back to their hotel. Frank made sure they weren't being followed along the way by constantly looking in the rearview mirror. When he was sure there was no tail, he looked over at Joe. Even in the dim light, he could see a bruise forming on his face from the fight.

"Are you sure you don't need a doctor? You look like you need one."

"What was up with that, dude anyway?" Joe answered ignoring his brother's question. "I mean, did you see the look on his face when he saw you? It's like he was surprised to see you or something."

"You're not answering my question, Joe."

"I'm completely ignoring your question because I'm fine." He groaned when his head started pounding. "Except for maybe the marching band that's playing in my head." Joe paused, closing his eyes. "What did you think of that guy?"

"I don't know what to think," Frank shook his head. "Maybe Dad might know what we should do. For now, tell me what happened in that alley and maybe I'll be able to make heads with it."

Joe explained the whole ordeal and his theory that his attacker was Jorge and Daphne was the girl he was trying to help. "I recognized his voice. That's the only reason why I say that."

"Well, it would explain what I saw," his brother said grimly and went on to tell his own part of the story. "I got lost and never found Jorge or the goon he was with. I'm wondering if Davenport or Jorge sent that man to 'help' you to make sure you didn't draw attention to them. That might explain why he didn't call the police."

"No, I don't think that was it," he shook his head, thinking though it pained him. "He had a kind face and he truly seemed like he wanted to help. Besides he didn't react to you until we were in the street light. Did you recognize him from somewhere or something?"

Frank shrugged and shook his head. "Never seen him before though he did seem familiar. I don't know. It was all just really strange."

"I'll agree with that."

They pulled into the parking lot of their hotel and went inside. They went directly to their own room thinking that their parents were more than likely out and they weren't sure if any of the Secret Service agents were still in the suite. Just as the brothers walked into their room, Joe made a noise.

"Dang it!"

"What? What happened?"

"I left the food in the alley!"

* * *

Around eight the next morning, Frank woke to his cell phone ringing though he thought it was the alarm clock at first. When the ringing stopped, he fell back asleep while Joe never even woke. Twenty minutes later, Frank fell out of bed when someone pounded on the door.

"Go away!" yelled Joe from under the covers.

Frank rubbed his eyes as he stumbled to the door and opened it. "Yeah?"

"Get your asses out of bed!" yelled Fenton as he stormed into the room. Laura was right behind him scoffing at her husband for his tone. "I've been trying to get a hold you two for the past hour! The Border Patrol and Coast Guard representatives are on their way! You need to be ready in five!"

"Wait, what?" yawned his oldest son.

"I thought they weren't coming until noon!" Joe cried poking his head out from under the covers. He hid back under when Laura pulled open the blinds letting bright sunlight into the dark room. Fenton pulled the comforter away from his son only to stop and stare at the bruises on Joe's face.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"Uh…"

Laura gasped and rushed over to her youngest and pulled him out of bed. She tsked as she examined him. "Oh, what happened?"

"I…I got jumped last night trying to help someone."

"By who?" Fenton asked, his tone lighter.

"I think it was Jorge. He was attacking Daphne…or at least I think it was her. It was dark in the alley so I couldn't really see much."

"I think it was them too, Dad," Frank piped in. He explained the scene he saw at Davenport's house. "The man was pretty adamant about getting someone back, almost as if they escaped captivity."

Fenton thought for a moment then snapped his fingers, looking at Laura. "The video I saw."

"What?" The other Hardys looked confused.

"Our cruise was hijacked last night," he explained, "and I was able to infiltrate the pirate's ship."

"Only to be thrown into the ocean," Laura grumbled, folding her arms in front of her.

"Stop harassing me on that, will ya?" Fenton complained. "Anyway, I saw a couple of video screens, one of which I believe had Parker Hawkley on it. He didn't look good either. The other looked like a bedroom of some sort and there was a girl who seemed like she was picking a lock on the door. She walked out after making sure no one was around. I think she may have escaped from somewhere."

"What time was that, do you know?" Frank asked excitedly.

"Maybe after eight," he shrugged. "I wasn't really checking the time, you know."

"Davenport was on his front stoop around 8:30, I think," he nodded. "The girl you saw must have been who they were looking for. It has to be Daphne, especially after the scenes we saw of her yesterday."

"But why? Why is she so important?" The four were quiet for a few minutes. Frank and Joe took the time to get dressed then the family left to go to the suite in which they were already late for the meeting that was to take place.

"So this guy came out of the blue and helped you?" Fenton asked looking at Joe. They were on the elevator heading upstairs. "And you have no idea what happened to the ones who jumped you or the girl you were trying to rescue?"

"The guy said she flagged him down before running off," Joe corrected. "I think she was able to get away. At least that's what we hope happened. Maybe we'll still be able to get answers tonight at that party. If we wear our masks the whole time, they won't know we're there."

"We'll discuss that later," his father said sternly. "Right now, we need to concentrate on what we have and maybe we can put it all together without having to attend that party."

"There you are!" Agent Taylor cried the moment Fenton opened the door to the suite. "We've been waiting for you!"

The Hardys stepped inside and saw several more people in the room than normal including a few uniformed officers from both the Border Patrol and Coast Guard. They all turned toward them as they entered though one man remained facing away, hunched over the table as if focused on something. He remained that way as Taylor introduced the Hardys to the rest of the group. Frank and Joe eyed the quiet man by the table approaching him cautiously. Their parents stayed back to speak to a Captain of the Coast Guard whom they seemed to know. Their attention changed when Joe cried out the moment the man finally turned around to face them.

"You!"

Laura gasped when she saw the man then looked over to see Fenton's reaction. The detective stood transfixed on the man, his lips parted slightly in shock. Frank and Joe gaped at their parents wondering what was going on.

"Why am I not surprised to see you here," Fenton stated, the room getting eerily quiet.

"That's funny," the man laughed slightly, "because I was completely shocked when I saw these two last night. It didn't take long to figure out who they belonged to."

"Is this the man who helped you, Joe?" asked Fenton looking at his sons. The two nodded silently, unsure if they should speak.

"Don't be hard on them," the man said. He looked apologetically at the two younger Hardys. "The only reason why I was able to decipher them was when I saw Frank. I thought I was looking at you, Fenton. I'm sorry if I startled you boys."

"Wait, you _know_ each other?" Joe asked looking from one to the other. "How?"

His father sighed then nodded. "Frank, Joe, I want you to meet an old…acquaintance of ours, Carson Drew."

"Who?"

Carson chuckled. "The last time I saw you two, Joe was still in diapers and Frank, you were a precocious three-year-old who tried to make friends with a little girl who just lost her mother."

Frank stared at the ground in thought. He tried to remember what Carson was talking about then it hit him. "The funeral." Carson nodded. "And you told Dad to get out for some reason. Why?"

"I'm surprised you remembered, Frank, but that's a conversation for another time," his father replied. Carson nodded grimly. Fenton looked at his old friend. "What are you doing here? This isn't exactly the type of case for a public defender."

"A lot has changed in sixteen years, Fenton," Carson answered. "I haven't been a public defender in nearly that long."

"He's the United States Attorney who's overseeing a case that involves the pirates we've been searching for," explained Captain Artie Matthews, the man Fenton and Laura were speaking to earlier. The Hardys all looked at Carson in shock. "Our investigator is someone close to him too."

"Is that how you knew to come here?" Joe asked still bewildered with the whole situation.

"I only just arrived last night after receiving a disturbing phone call from a friend," the lawyer explained. "I wasn't really going to come down, leaving the investigating to the professionals. However, circumstances changed and I dropped everything to come here. I just happened upon you last night, Joe. I knew nothing of the assault and I was just checking out Davenport's house before heading here. If it hadn't been for the girl I would never have known you were even there."

"So you ran into Daphne last night," Frank stated.

"Daphne?" Carson looked confused. "If I ran into her, I wouldn't be here talking with you right now."

"But you described her perfectly." Joe looked even more confused. "She was the one who I thought I was trying to help last night."

"Yes, I did describe a young lady that fit your description of Daphne, Joe, but it wasn't her."

"Then how…huh?" Frank was completely lost as well but when he glanced at his parents, they both had a regretful look on their faces. "Mom? Dad? What is going on?"

"What he means in that the investigator we've been looking for is someone extremely close to him, Frank," Fenton said sadly. He looked at Carson who nodded. "I had a feeling it was her, Carson. I take it she did it without your consent."

The lawyer nodded. "She's like her mother, smart as a whip and stubborn as hell. We had a fight about it and I thought she agreed not to help but she went anyway. She told me she was going on a different case."

"Okay, will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Joe piped waving his hand.

"The young lady you know to be Daphne Blake," Carson replied sadly, "is my daughter Nancy."

* * *

"Good morning, beautiful," replied a voice.

Nancy's head bobbed as she tried to get the fuzzies out of her mind. She looked up to see Martin Davenport standing over her, a smirk etched on his face. Nancy tried to stand up but her hands wouldn't move. They were strapped tightly to the arms of the chair she sat in, her legs also tied up. She looked around the sparsely furnished room, feeling as if the room were swaying. No, not swaying. Rocking, as if they were on a boat. Nancy frantically tried to get herself free only to hear Davenport laugh at her.

"You can't get away this time, Nancy," he smirked. She stopped when she heard her real name, the color in her face draining. "Did you think I wouldn't find out? It took a while but since you decided you were officially done with my hospitality, I took it upon myself to find out who you really were."

"How long have you known Daphne wasn't my real name?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"A few days," Davenport nodded. "I had suspicions. Every time you slipped away from Jorge, it made me wonder. What were you doing, my dear?"

"Nothing of importance," she shrugged, trying to act strong though she was terrified.

"I'm sure that was not the case but there were other reasons as to why I continued to allow you to stay with us. Besides the fact that I thought you were one of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen, of course. There was just something about you that I thought maybe you'd…stay longer and under a different capacity."

"I think not," Nancy said firmly. The man disgusted her and she showed it.

"Such a face. It doesn't become you."

"Why am I not dead?"

Davenport laughed, folding his arms in front of him. "Right, that. I could throw you into the ocean with a weight on your leg. Isn't that what _pirates_ used to do in the old days?" Nancy gulped nervously. He leaned in closer to her, his face only inches from her, his dead eyes looking square into her own. "But then I found out a little tidbit that was too juicy not to take advantage of. I have another guest whose use is going to be the same as your own. He joined us the same night you did but he's been somewhere else since then. Does that ring a bell though? A handsome young man, sweeping a stranger off her feet after meeting her on the beach? I only drugged you because I didn't know how you would react if you saw him pass out. Besides, I was intrigued by you. I knew you weren't invited to my exclusive party that I set up just for him so I needed to know why you crashed it. Too bad you faked amnesia. I'm sure you overheard me saying something about the drug causing forgetfulness. You took advantage of that and of me. I don't like that."

"I didn't fake anything," Nancy shook her head.

"Somehow, I don't believe you," he smiled gleefully. "Tell me though, are there any others like yourself that you're protecting? Any investigators looking into my team or maybe searching for Mr. Hawkley?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she stated.

"We'll see." Davenport rose and towered over her. "Maybe a little bit more time with me, up close and personal, will help jog your memory that you so conveniently forget. Enjoy the time we have together, Nancy. I know I will."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**It's Friday. Yay! And another update from me! Double yay! I hope that everyone is still holding strong as we get through everything going on. Thank you so much for the reviews of the last chapter. I'm sure this one hopefully answers some of those burning questions that have bearing down on you. And yes! We finally see Nancy's point of view. Granted it wasn't a good point of view in her case but still, that was my plan. I want to wait until the right moment to bring her in. And I always did want Carson to come into the picture as well. I thought that having him 'rescue' Joe would be interesting especially when he realized who the brothers were. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next, huh? Anyway, enough of me chattering away. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and if you will, please leave a review to tell me what you think! Have a great weekend and God bless!**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Fenton stood rooted to the ground. He had his theory on Daphne long before Carson showed up but deep down, Fenton had prayed that his theory was wrong.

When Kate Drew died sixteen years before, it took a toll on him. He regretted what happened that night and left the force because of the incident. Fenton just couldn't bring himself to grips on her death and took his emotions out on his sons. Ever since they were little, Frank and Joe wanted to be just like their father and it took years for Fenton to allow them to participate in cases and only under his direct supervision. Their current case was turning into a nightmare and now the pirates had two hostages to negotiate with. That is if Davenport, or whoever had Nancy, didn't kill her after the night before.

"Have there been any demands yet on Parker Hawkley, Jim?" Fenton spoke, finally breaking the awkward silence in the room. the others jumped at the sound of his voice.

The agent shook his head grimly. "Not that I know of. Senator Hawkley has been as straightforward with us as he could be from the very start. I don't see why he would lie about getting any demands."

"Senator Winston Hawkley?" asked Carson, his eyes growing wide in surprise. He looked at Fenton. "You're looking for _his_ son? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"The same reason no one told us about the pirates invading Florida!" retorted Fenton, glaring at him. "Care to tell us more other than what we've already found out on our own, _without_ your help, I might add!"

"If it had been up to me, Fenton," Carson boomed stepping toward the detective, "you wouldn't have even been considered for this case! And the same thing goes for you, Taylor! Senator Hawkley is a close friend of mine and is backing my case against these damn pirates! We should have been told about this from the start!"

"_We_ screwed up?" Taylor repeated incredulously, his voice echoing in the room. "If we had known all about the case you were working on and the fact that you had someone already in place, we could have worked with you on this! Did you even think to ask your daughter about anything odd that happened while she was in that house or were you too busy to even notice that she was gone?"

"I had nothing to do with her coming down here!" the lawyer cried. "She's known for doing things like this without my permission but I can assure you that I didn't _want_ her here! But Nancy knows how to handle herself and can get out of any situation."

"Except this one," the agent stated hotly. The air in the room seemed to pulse with electricity, the three men staring each other down while the rest of the people in their group watched, none of them wanting to interfere.

"Oh, my God! That's enough!" screamed Laura, stomping her foot. Her face was red with anger as she glared at each one of them. "All three of you are acting like spoiled children! Grow up and get over whatever is bothering you for the time being! This is definitely not the time or the place to argue about it!" She looked at Carson, her face softening slightly though she was still angry. "I know you lost Kate and you're still grieving. I do too to this day. She was my best friend, Carson. I understand your anger with Fenton and Jim but please, leave it for another time and work with all of us. Do this for Nancy's sake at least."

Carson closed his eyes and bowed his head. He was hurting and they knew it. His phone buzzed interrupting the silence and he left the room quickly to answer it without saying a word. Fenton shook his head and stormed out of the room and into the bedroom, slamming the door. Agent Taylor rubbed the back of his neck, his face red with embarrassment. He looked around the room at the others and shook his head.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that," he apologized softly. "The three of us have…history."

"Is this going to hinder the investigation, Agent Taylor?" Captain Matthews asked.

"No," the agent answered quickly with a shake of his head. He looked at Frank and Joe and nodded toward them. "These two are capable of continuing anyway. It's their case. They're the only ones here who were invited to Davenport's party this evening. We can't risk anyone else."

"Absolutely not!" Laura cried, shaking her head. "Find someone else, Jim! After Joe being attacked last night, I don't want either one of them getting hurt again or worse, captured. It's bad enough that we now have no idea where Nancy is…"

"And we're the best ones to be able to find her, Mom," Frank interrupted, stepping forward. Joe nodded solemnly behind him. "We feel somewhat responsible for her disappearance after we ran into her several times…literally. I think we need to rethink everything of what we know about both cases. Wherever she is so, I have a feeling that's where Parker Hawkley is as well and this party is our best chance of finding out where they are or at least find some clues."

Laura looked at her sons and beamed with pride. She saw the determination in their faces. It was the same determination she saw in Fenton's face the night before and she knew, just like their father, that she wouldn't be able to stop them from helping. The proud mother went over and hugged her boys just as Taylor's phone rang, startling him.

"Yes, sir?" he stated stepping away from the group.

"Are you two sure you'll be able to handle tonight?" Laura asked her sons, taking advantage of Agent Taylor's phone call.

Frank nodded. "Yes, Mom. I think we'll be fine. Is Dad going to be all right though? That was pretty intense between him and Mr. Drew. What happened between them that caused the riff?"

Laura sighed looking at the bedroom where Fenton disappeared into moments before. "It's a long story, Frank, one that is really not mine to tell. I wasn't there to witness it but your father was. I knew Kate very well though. You would have liked her and more than likely the both of you would have been close friends with Nancy growing up. She was a sweet little girl too and she obviously takes after her mother in looks, beauty, and brains. Kate and I grew up together before she moved away in high school. We tried to keep in touch, but life happened and we lost that touch. Kate was an FBI agent stationed in New York City around the time your father was still on the force. Carson was a public defender at the time, having just gotten out of law school not three years before. I didn't even know she was living in New York until Fenton invited the Drews over for dinner one evening. Your father and Carson worked on a case together and were friends by then.

"A year later, Nancy was born and then you were, Frank," she continued sadly. "She was a few weeks older than you but while we were pregnant together, Kate and I wanted so badly for our children to grow up as friends even though by that time Carson was considering taking a job in Chicago. After the case that killed Kate, your father was never the same and neither was Carson. Our relationship with him ended when he told us to leave the day of the funeral. That was the last time we saw them because Carson took the job in Chicago and moved away with Nancy. The rest of the story is your father's to tell but I think he needs to lay it out with Carson once this is over before he does that. I know that you are to find Parker Hawkley but Nancy is important too. Don't forget that. I would imagine Carson having a very close relationship with his daughter after what happened to Kate. You have to put that into perspective as you go along with this case."

Frank inhaled deeply. Joe stared at the ground silently, taking in the information. Both of them knew the seriousness of the situation and wanted nothing more to change what happened. If they had only known who she was in the first place, her disappearance wouldn't have happened. But that was in the past and they had to think about what they were going to do in order to find both Parker and Nancy.

"Thanks, Mom," Frank said softly after a few minutes. "We…we'll find her."

"I'm sure you will, sweetheart," she smiled at her sons. "I _know _that both of you will."

"Okay, everybody," Agent Taylor announced, returning to the room, "we have some news."

Fenton was behind him, his face blank and his lips pursed. Carson still had not returned though whoever was on the phone must have been important enough for him to leave so quickly.

"I just got word from Senator Hawkley that someone called in a demand to him about his son." There was a collective gasp in the room, with Laura being the loudest, her hand brought to her mouth in shock. "Apparently this is the second phone call, the first one in which he neglected to tell us."

"Wait, there was already a demand made before?" Fenton asked loudly. "Why the hell didn't he say anything? It would have explained why Parker was taken in the first place!"

"I know, Fenton," Taylor said calmly, looking at his friend. "As nice as I could be, I gave the senator a licking for it. The first time they called there wasn't a demand. Just a quick proof of life phone call and a warning that a demand was to come when the time was right."

"What was the demand?" Frank asked speaking what everyone was thinking.

"It's simple," the agent answered. "There's a vote coming up in the committee Hawkley chairs. It's about a crackdown on human trafficking and piracy in US territorial waters. The Border Patrol and Coast Guard have been waiting for this to happen for awhile now. Am I right, Captain Matthews?"

The man nodded. "We've been working together for years in battling both and without that bill, the funding to continue will go down. But it's hard to get it done because of what we need and want and what certain people are willing to give."

"The case I'm working on coincides with this bill," Carson announced, coming up to the group from behind them. Frank noticed the man had a defeated look on his face which made him wonder what happened. "We believe that Martin Davenport is an alias for one of the most wanted criminals in the world, Maximo Sardoni. He moves from country to country like a parasite. His ships tend to go after small cargo ships, entertainment vessels, and cruise ships."

"Just like the one you were on last night, Mr. Hardy," Captain Matthews nodded. Fenton nodded in recognition.

"I've been trying to gather enough information to get Davenport into court ever since he showed up eight months ago," the lawyer continued. "He was on the west coast then and moved down here a few months ago when the heat turned up in California. It took us nearly a month to find him again but he didn't know we had a name he used before in another country, Martin Davenport. Sardoni is originally from Italy and speaks four languages on top of his native Italian. He's wanted in nearly every country in Europe and several others around the world. The bill is directed mainly at him though he does not deal with human trafficking. At least not that we know of."

"So you're sure Davenport is Sardoni?" Fenton asked. "And there's more than one ship out there?"

"Yes on both counts," Matthews nodded. There haven't been very many photos of Davenport or Sardoni but we are sure that it's him from fingerprints collected in the past. As for the other ships, this time around, he's only using one at the moment but it could change. We do know that he has a large yacht that's harbored at the marina but it hasn't been seen since yesterday. We believe that it may have set sail soon after sunset last night. As to why, we're not sure. I'm hoping that Davenport will be in attendance this evening so that we can get some sort of photo of him but with what we know so far, it might be too late for us. We're hoping that the photos Mr. Hardy took on their ship last night can be retrieved considering your phone was drenched. The Border Patrol's tech unit is working on it as we speak. Is there anything else you can tell us about the ship, Mr. Hardy?"

"It wasn't large, that's for sure," Fenton replied, "but it honestly looked like an old pirate ship only updated. It had three masts though the sails were down." He went on to describe every detail plus what he found while aboard. "I believe that I may have seen Parker Hawkley on one of the video screens. I'm not sure where he was though. The other screen was from a house and I only saw a girl briefly before she escaped. Both videos were black and white so I couldn't get very many features of either of them."

"The second video sounds like you may have seen Nancy escape last night," replied Carson. "She's proficient in lock-picking and she's also a black belt in judo so you may want to look for someone sporting some bruises after that fight last night and not just bruised egos either."

"Yeah, I kind of got the vibe that she knew how to handle herself last night," Joe muttered to Frank who nodded. "Wouldn't want to be on her bad side."

Frank didn't respond to his brother the second time. He was staring at Carson who, although was still talking and giving information when needed, had a distant, scared look on his face. Frank wondered if the man was keeping something to himself which may have had something to do with phone the lawyer received a few minutes before.

"This is good, Mr. Hardy," replied Captain Matthews, interrupting Frank's thoughts. "Now we know what their main vessel looks like. Its sounds like a schooner of some sort which tend to look like older ships. If we can see those photos you took, we'll know what routes they take and where to send our ships to see if we can catch them before they act again. Did any of the maps have a possible hideout that they might use?"

"Maybe," Fenton sighed. He thought for a moment. "I'm thinking they came from a nearby island. That's the only thing I can think of at the moment."

"Did you happen to get the name of the ship?"

"I did," Laura raised her hand. Her husband gave her a startled look. "What? Did you think I was going to stay in that closet the whole time? Please." A few in the group laughed lightly at the exchange before she continued. "The name of the ship is the _Tempest_. I saw the name as it moved away from the cruise ship. I think they were using the engine to move instead of the sails. There wasn't much of a wind last night."

"That will definitely help!" smiled Captain Matthews. "We'll put out an all-points bulletin about the ship and possibly someone will spot it. We've never had the name of any of their ships so this is great. Good job, Mrs. Hardy."

"Way to go, Mom!" whooped Joe smiling broadly.

"Why, thank you, Joe," she smiled, curtseying. "At least someone appreciates my work."

"As for tonight," Taylor pointed to Frank and Joe, "you two will be at Davenport's party. See if you can get any information somewhere in that house. I'm sure he has an office and maybe even find a clue as to Hawkley's whereabouts. You were invited by this Melody we keep hearing about and you're expected to attend so your presence probably won't raise alarms."

"Well, at least Frank is expected," smirked Joe. His brother swiped at him thought he ducked at the last minute.

"I'm glad you were invited," Matthews piped in. "When Ms. Drew went in, she wasn't invited. We heard about what Davenport did to those who crashed his parties, especially exclusive ones."

"What did he do?" Frank asked concerned.

"They were never to be seen again," he said grimly. "At least that's what the rumor is. No one has tried since he's been here so it may have been a ruse to stop party crashers. The party she was at was very exclusive with only a handful of people. It made us wonder if there was another reason for it."

"Wait, is that the party Parker Hawkley was at?" Joe raised his hand. "Maybe it was a setup for him. He was more than likely the target. Is that the same one Nancy was at?"

The captain nodded solemnly. "We have no idea why Davenport took her in and right now, we can't ask him."

"Why was she sent in the first place?" Carson cried, his voice shrill. "She wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't put her up to it!"

"That's not what happened, Mr. Drew, and you know it," Matthews stated calmly. "_She_ came to us after you told her to stay out of it. I was ready to give up and so were you. That was when she volunteered. I believe she did it to help you. The party was her idea as well. Your daughter had no telling as to what would happen to her had she been found out but she took the chance anyway. She called us the next day to let us know she was okay and what her plan was. She decided to stay and find what we needed on Davenport but it turned ugly after a few days."

"What do you mean?"

"We believe that Davenport started getting suspicious of her and sent one of his goons with her every time she left the house."

"Jorge," Joe added. The captain nodded. "The man is huge. I'm surprised she was able to get away from him when she did."

"It was the only way she could get a hold of us," Matthews continued. "She gave Jorge the slip and then walk back to the house on her own after contacting us."

"So she willingly went back every time?" the young Hardy said. "Wow, that's devotion."

"Nancy didn't do it out of devotion, Mr. Hardy. It was what she wanted to do. Only thing was that yesterday, she was to leave for good. That's why you ran into her on the Boardwalk, Mr. Hardy. You surprised her and then Jorge caught up to her ruining the plan."

"Sorry."

"There's no reason to be," the captain replied with a small smile. "You didn't know. We just know that her contact saw the whole thing and then called Mr. Drew for help."

"There's another one?" Fenton asked confused. "I thought Nancy was the only investigator."

"That's because her contact isn't an investigator or an agent," Carson said rudely. "She's one of Nancy's best friends who came down here a few days ago to help. If it weren't for George, I wouldn't have known anything until I got that phone call a few minutes ago."

"They called you, didn't they, sir?" Frank looked at him with concern. Carson smiled at the young man and bowed his head. They could tell he was fighting back tears.

"Yeah," he answered, his voice cracking. "You are definitely your father's son for being observant. They only had one request. They want me to drop the case or I'll never see Nancy again."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks to everyone who continues to read and leave reviews for the chapters! You guys keep me going day in and day out. This chapter answered so more questions but I'm sure new ones have popped up as well. I know that there is a lot of conversation going on but it is definitely needed to continue on with the journey. We will get to the action soon. I promise! The party is coming and don't worry. That I will tell you they are definitely going. Couldn't you tell? Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a great evening and God bless! Stay healthy, my friends!**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

_Fifteen minutes earlier…_

_Carson walked out of the suite to answer his phone and stood in the hallway. "Hi, Stella," he answered the call. "What do you need?"_

"_I have a personal call for you from the switchboard, Mr. Drew," his personal assistant announce professionally. "Would you like me to patch it through?"_

"_Now is not exactly the best time, Stella," Carson sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Did they say who they were?"_

_Stella never bothered him with personal calls even if he were in his office and not hundreds of miles away unless it was either Nancy or something important that couldn't wait. It worried him though that she was calling him so soon after Nancy disappeared. Her next words stunned him into submission. "The only thing the man said was that it concerned your daughter, sir. Shall I transfer the call?"_

"_Yes," Carson quickly said, his voice on edge. His heart pounding as he waiting the few seconds before he spoke again, trying his best to keep his voice calm and professional. "This is Carson Drew."_

"_Hello, Mr. Drew," replied a calm and pleasant voice. "How are you today?"_

"_I…I'm fine," he said cautiously, unsure of what he should really say. "Who…who is this?"_

"_Right at the moment, that does not matter," the man said politely though his voice had a slight condescending tone to it. "What does matter is that you listen very carefully to what I am about to say."_

"_Okay…"_

"_And please, don't interrupt," he ordered sternly, "or there will be consequences. Do I make myself clear?"_

"_Crystal." Carson looked at the door to the suite and wondered if her should walk back in and put the phone on speaker for all to hear. However, he felt that if he did, the man on the other line would know and he wasn't prepared to hear what sort of "consequences" the man had in mind. Instead, he walked down the hall to his own room and went inside for more privacy._

"_Good. Now that we have the small talk out of the way, Mr. Drew, we can get down to business." The earlier pleasantry in the man's voice had dissolved revealing the man's true nature of the phone call. As he spoke, Carson could hear just a slight fleck of an accent which gave him an idea as to who he was talking to. "I trust that you are alone?"_

_When Carson didn't answer, the man raised his voice, startling the lawyer. "Are. You. Alone?"_

"_Y…yes."_

"_Good. Then I don't have to ask you to walk away from anyone. We are already communicating well, Mr. Drew, so I trust that this will go smoothly for all of us." The man paused briefly. "But the next time I ask a question, answer it more quickly. Understand?"_

"_Yes," Carson quickly replied._

_The man laughed. "Now you're getting it."_

"_What is it that you want?" the lawyer asked though his voice cracked._

"_You are working on a case that is going to damage a lot of people whom I know personally, Mr. Drew," he replied nonchalantly._

"_Would that include yourself?" Carson said through gritted teeth._

_The man laughed again then a loud slap reverberated in Carson's ear, a yelp soon following. "The next time you say something stupid, Mr. Drew, a slap will be the least of her worries. Now, if you want to see your lovely daughter again…unharmed…I suggest you listen well."_

_Carson closed his eyes to the thought and bit his lip hard enough to draw blood, the coppery taste spreading in his mouth. Nancy was alive…for now but the only thing he could think to do at that moment was pray._

"_You have 48 hours to drop that case or," the man let out a sinister snicker, "we attach a very heavy weight to her leg and drop her into the ocean. I hear that one drowns long before their body disintegrates from the pressure of the sea. I would really hate to see that happen to such a beautiful young lady. Have a press conference scheduled for noon in two days, Mr. Drew, or that is what will happen."_

_Carson's hand trembled as he held on to the phone. There was no other choice to make but the case wasn't exactly going to be so easy to drop in a matter of two days. The man grew silent as if waiting for a response but nothing came out of Carson's mouth. He looked around the room, searching for something to throw in order to vent his frustrations. What he didn't listen to was what was going on on the other line. If he had he would have heard a scuffle and the sound of someone breathing heavily from exertion. A familiar voice knocked him back to reality though he was confused at first._

"_Dad? Are you there?" Nancy said breathlessly. He could hear the sounds of an engine running in the background and wondered where she was. "Dad!"_

"_Nancy?" he finally said coming to his senses. "What…where are you? Are you okay? How'd you get away?"_

"_Dad, I don't have much time before they find me," she said hastily._

"_Then get away, sweetheart! Please! There's got to be a way!"_

"_I'm on a ship, Dad and I think we're out at sea," Nancy replied. "There's no place for me to go except for a swim. I'm so sorry for what's happened but you have to promise me that you won't give in to his demands. Don't sacrifice it for me."_

"_I…I can't do that, honey," he pleaded with her, his voice soft but loud enough for her to hear. "I don't want to lose you like I lost your mother. I…I won't be able to…"_

"_Dad, please. Promise me."_

_Carson fought back tears, an action that he rarely did anymore since Kate died. He thought about his daughter and knew she was right even though it hurt for him to say it. He just didn't know if he could go through with it. "I promise," he finally nodded. "Stay strong, baby girl."_

"_I will." Carson could hear the sounds of shouting but Nancy spoke four words that broke his heart. "I love you, Dad."_

_Just the last word came out of her mouth, Nancy screamed loudly, jerking Carson in alarm._

"_48 hours, Mr. Drew. Use them wisely."_

_The call ended and Carson dropped to his knees, tears flowing down his cheeks. He looked out the window, the beach and ocean spread out in panorama view. It was a beautiful day but inside his room, dark clouds formed. Carson couldn't get over the desperation he heard in his daughter's voice. I tore him apart knowing she was willingly forfeiting her life for his sake. She knew how important the case was and the impact it would have. But Carson just wasn't sure if he was willing to keep his promise to her once the deadline closed in. 48 hours was all he had and he knew it was going to fly faster than any jet in existence. He just hoped that he could put his trust in someone, anyone in order to bring her back before it was too late._

* * *

The room was quiet after hearing Carson's account of the phone call. Fenton didn't know what to say to his former friend. All he wanted to do was to help. He just hoped Carson would accept it considering their past. It was the only way to solve the case and bring both Nancy and Parker Hawkley home safely.

Carson stared at the ground, his eyes dead. The last words he heard from Nancy still echoed in his mind but what feared him more was what the man on the phone was doing to her for getting away. She obviously took a risk, giving Carson hope even if it was for just a fleeting moment. He quickly excused himself and left the suite, leaving the others to process the story.

Just before reaching his room, Carson heard his name from the one person he didn't want to hear from. He turned around annoyed as Fenton walked toward him, his face set with determination.

"What do you want?" Carson snarled. "To rub salt on the wound?"

"No," Fenton shook his head. "I want to know what you're going to do next."

"I'm going home," the lawyer stated, opening his hotel room. Fenton followed him in much to Carson's objection. He cried out loudly. "Go away, Fenton! There's nothing you or anyone else can do to remedy this! I am doing the only thing I know I can and I can't do that while I'm here!"

"And so you're just going to leave her, is that it?" he answered angrily. "You promised her!"

"This coming from the man who broke his own promise with me about Kate!" Carson yelled. He pulled out his suitcase and began repacking it. "I should never have come and I should never have trusted you. All I know to do is to hold that press conference in two days."

"You're giving in?" Fenton asked incredulously, throwing his hands in the air. "What's going to happen if you do? They'll ask for more next time, more than likely money or another favor. I'm sure you have influence or they wouldn't have called you, Carson. Please let us help you!"

"_You_ help me?' Carson gave him a look of disdain. "You couldn't even help Kate! How would you help my daughter without getting her killed? Huh? I'm not taking that chance! Not with you!"

"Carson, I did my best to help Kate! I tried to stop her!" He pursed his lips and shook his head. "That bomb was going to go off no matter what and there was _nothing_ anyone could have done! Every damn day I think about it and every damn day I regret what happened to her! I nearly lost everything because of my own grief! Laura wanted to leave me years ago and it took her telling me that to get me somewhat out of my funk! But to this day, I still don't let the boys take on dangerous cases unless I'm right there with them because I'm terrified of what might happen! I have been critical of them their entire lives because of that night! Do you have any idea what that feels like?"

"_You_ are the reason Kate is dead!" the lawyer's voice booming, echoing in the room. He pointed a finger at Fenton. "I am _not_ letting you anywhere near this case! Let the _professionals_ find my daughter because Lord knows what would happen if you handled it!"

Fenton finally had enough and yelled in rage. "Carson, _get over it!_" Carson blinked several times, startled by the man's cry. "I have been trying to apologize for sixteen years! I'm trying to apologize _now_! I'm sorry for what happened to Kate! I really am! If I could change it, I would! But don't leave Nancy behind because of what happened to your wife! That's giving in to them! Do you really want that? She even asked you to not give in! Why would you do that to her? I'm sure Nancy knew what she was getting herself into but she also knew when to leave! She had to have! Just work with us! Please! I couldn't live with myself if I sat back and watched another one of your loved ones died because I did nothing!"

He stood watching his former friend, his chest heaving from the emotion in his words. Carson stared at him, his lips slightly parted, his hands limp at his sides.

"Please," Fenton said softly, his eyes pleading. "Let us do this."

"You…you promise me you'll bring her home?" Carson stammered, his eyes watering.

"I promise, Carson," he nodded, his voice genuine. "I'm so sorry…for everything."

The two men stood in silence before Carson broke down completely, releasing the pent up frustration of sixteen years of grief and anger. Fenton stepped forward and for the first time in years, the two men embraced in comfort for one another.

"I will get her back, Carson," Fenton mumbled into his ear. "_We_ will get her back."

* * *

"I want to get you two set up for this evening," Agent Taylor replied to Frank and Joe. "We are going to ensure you have backup every step of the way even if we can't be in that house with you. Are you sure you boys are up for it?"

"Absolutely," Frank nodded. "From what Mr. Drew said about the man on the phone, I honestly think we're dealing with Davenport who took both Parker Hawkley and Nancy though I highly doubt he'll be there. But if he is there, do you want us to do anything?"

"No," the agent shook his head. "I got the same vibe you did that it's him. If he does happen to show up, we'll be going in right behind you."

"What if this Davenport doesn't give up his hostages?" Laura asked concerned. "Or if the boys are compromised without seeing him? What will happen then?"

"I don't know Laura," Taylor said sadly. "This is the only thing that I know to do and I think the boys will be fine."

"I agree with the agent," replied a voice. The group turned to see Fenton and Carson standing just inside the room. Laura sensed a difference in the two men and wondered what transpired between them. Carson spoke again. "These two can go on to the party with the rest of the group they are with. I have George coming now so we'll make plans and we'll go from there. I agree with Frank. I highly doubt that Davenport will make an appearance. Knowing him though, he's long gone but since this party was already planned for the evening, I guarantee it will still go on. Nancy said she was on a ship. I'm thinking that it's Davenport's yacht that disappeared last night. That's where he is too. If we know what to look for, we might be able to find it this evening while Frank and Joe are at that party gathering more information. Anything you can find, boys, anything at all will be a great help. While they're at the house, we can go find that ship."

"We?" Taylor asked, eyeing the lawyer with interest. "You're not giving up then?"

"No," he shook his head. "For her sake, no. I thought I was going to go and was damn near packing but Fenton said what I needed to hear. I'm not backing down and I'm sure as hell not giving up on Nancy. She needs us and so does Parker Hawkley."

A knock came at the door and Carson went to answer the door. When he returned, he was accompanied by a familiar face to Frank and Joe. "No way," said the younger Hardy, a look of shock written across his face. Frank just shook his head in disbelief.

"This is George Fayne," the lawyer introduced the young woman with long dark hair that was swept up into a pony tail. "Or as Frank and Joe know her as Jessie Markus."

* * *

"That was very stupid, Nancy," growled Davenport. "Though I'm not surprised."

Nancy was back in the chair, her hands and feet tied once more. She glared at him though she said nothing.

"You think you're smart but I'm still way ahead of you, my dear," he quipped. "I knew you would lie to me because that's just what good girls do when they're backed into a corner. I also know you love your father very much hence the reason why you were able to get away from me so easily and why you're sacrificing yourself for him. That is of course, what you told him, right?" Davenport leaned in closer to her, smirking. "Just what I wanted you to do."

Nancy's face went white. She was set up. "Why?" she whispered.

"To give your father a false sense of hope," Davenport shrugged. "This case of his wouldn't necessarily ruin me but several of my associates that I do business with would suffer which eventually would hurt my own enterprises though not entirely. Our other friend, however, is helping with a similar matter that would definitely hinder my business dealings even more. You were just the icing on the cake. See, I value my life and how I live it. Cracking down on my livelihood simply just won't do. Then when this is all over, we'll be reevaluating your importance though I do believe Mr. Hawkley won't have that luxury. And too bad we can't be at my home for the party this evening. I was so looking forward to seeing you in the dress I had picked out. Maybe we'll have our own little gathering here. Just the two of us. We could have a nice meal together, get to know one another and maybe share a dance together though I would have to make sure that more…sensitive areas were better protected."

"I hope it still hurts," Nancy snarled, struggling with her bonds. "And if it doesn't, let me go and I'll give you another dose."

"Such manners, Nancy," Davenport tsked, waggling a finger in front of her. "We're just going to have to work on that." He stood back up, towering over her. "Enjoy the cruise, my dear. We're going to be here for awhile so get used to it."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**A lot of your figured George to be Jessie so I'm sure that the ending of this chapter is no surprise. It was still fun to bring her in which actually stemmed from a review from several chapters ago. I was having a hard time finding a spot for either Bess or George and then it came to me with Jessie. More on her comes in the next chapter. And thanks to everyone who has been leaving reviews and to those who have continued to support the story by reading each chapter as they come out. I am having a lot of fun writing this especially with all the time I have now that I'm home. And yes, I still do a few things with my kids but its naptime right now for one and the other is working on educational activities on her tablet. Its quiet time before the hubby gets home (who is still working, I might add). The governor of Pennsylvania just closed the schools down indefinitely and ordered our county on stay-at-home status so my writing is gonna increase. Great news for you all, right? Lol. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as more and more questions are being answered as we move along quickly. If you have the chance and would like to, I'd like to hear from you in reviews or drop me a PM if you'd like to chat sometime. I love to talk! Maybe that's why I can't seem to get my seven-year-old's mouth to stop moving. Anyway, have a great week and God bless! Stay healthy, my friends!**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"Do I really have to wear this monkey suit?" Joe complained, pulling at the tie he wore. "I look like a dork!"

"Oh, quit your complaining, Joe," Frank growled. He adjusted his own tie before grabbing the plain navy blue mask sitting on the middle console of their rental car. "No one's going to know it's you anyway since we'll be wearing these masks."

"Well, Mom didn't have to take our picture, you know," his brother mumbled. "It made me feel like going to prom all over again."

"Aren't you supposed to be going to prom next month anyway?"

"That's beside the point, Frank! At least there, I can be a little dressed down and be my own person. This thing is just not me!"

"Um, you do realize that Chelsea expects a tux, right? She called Mom last week to make sure your tux matched her gown."

"No!" Joe's eyes went wide in alarm. "I'm not wearing a tux to prom! No way! Uh uh!" He folded his arms in front of him and pouted.

"Deal with it, Joe," Frank laughed. "You're the one who asked the captain of the cheerleading squad to prom. What else do you expect from a girl like that? If it makes you feel any better, tonight you're not going to be with anyone you know so you can embarrass yourself even more and don't have to worry about the consequences besides the wrath of Mom. You're the lucky one anyway. I have to endure Melody all night."

"And what's that wrong with that?" Joe smirked. Frank gave him a dirty look. "She's cute and nice and seems to really be into you. Isn't that what you like in a girl?"

"No, that's what _you_ like in a girl, along with being a complete airhead," Frank pointed out. "Melody's just…there's just something weird about her, that's all. And she seems to hang on everything I say and do."

"You were only with her once, Frank. I think you can handle her for one more night." Joe sighed and grabbed his mask, staring at it. "Why did they call this party a masque anyway?"

Frank's head slowly swiveled toward him and gave his brother a look. "Wow. I simply cannot fathom how you got through high school."

"I'll have you know I'm smarter than you think I am, Mr. Hotshot College Freshman!" Joe blabbed. Frank rolled his eyes and got out of the car.

"You do know we can hear everything you say," replied Agent Taylor's voice in their ears. The Secret Service hooked them up with radios and ear buds so that they were in constant contact with the two brothers while they were in Davenport's house. Frank and Joe just forgot they weren't exactly "alone." "Are you two ready?"

"Ready as we can be," Frank replied. "We're just waiting on the others before meeting Melody Banks on the beach."

"Good," Taylor said. "Remember George is still to be called Jessie. Only Bridget knows besides you and we want to keep it that way until the case is over. Bridget will be handling Brian and Cal while George will be your lookout for when you go searching the house, Joe. Frank, you're to get any information you can out of Melody. I'm sure she has to know something about Davenport even if it's something that doesn't pertain to the case directly."

"Do I have to?" he grumbled.

"Yes!" his mother cried. Frank flinched, forgetting that his mother was also listening in. While she stayed with the Secret Service, Fenton went with Carson and the Coast Guard to search for Davenport's yacht. Agent Taylor's tech team was still working on Carson's phone though they were still optimistic. "You just gave your brother a hard time about his complaining. Both of you need to just suck it up. It could be a lot worse than it already is!"

Joe snickered quietly, his hand over his mouth to stifle the laugh. He stopped when Frank glared at him. A moment later, the brothers were given a reprieve from the onslaught of their mother and Agent Taylor as a car pulled up next to them.

"This is going to be epic!" hooted Cal as he jumped out of the driver's seat. He high-fived Brian before rushing around to greet Frank and Joe. "Are you guys ready to party?"

"Boy, these two sound like geniuses," Taylor mumbled almost causing Frank to start laughing but he was able to control it at the last minute.

Cal and Brian seemed to take a different approach when they decided what to wear to the party. Though they were light colored and nice looking, their suits were wrinkled and Cal's tie was loose while Brian didn't wear one. Either way, it shocked the Hardys that the two boys actually attempted to dress up even though they failed miserably.

Bridget and George on the other hand, wore nice dresses though the former had on a tight fitting black dress that hugged her modest curves. George seemed to go a little more conservative with a looser blue dress though it was still low-cut. Their masks were also more flamboyant than the boys were. Each one had bright feathers of numerous colors with sequins that sparkled in the light.

"At least you two decided to look nice," Bridget smiled. Joe could tell she was trying to make Brian jealous though he wasn't paying any attention. She sighed when she realized it then shrugged in defeat. "Those two idiots look as if they pulled their clothes out of the dirty hamper!"

"Hey, I resemble that remark!" Brian called out.

"Are you guys ready?" came another voice coming from the beach. The six friends looked over to see a young woman standing in the sand, her shoes hanging from the tips of her fingers. A golden mask covered her features and her hair was swept up into a french twist with a gold barrette holding it in place. She smiled broadly at the group, her blue eyes dancing behind her mask. At first, Frank thought it was Daphne or he hoped it was but he knew it had to be Melody since she was the one who was meeting them. Still, the girl cleaned up pretty well with a form-fitting black and gold gown that had a slit running up nearly to her hip. For some reason though, Frank thought she was trying too hard to act older than she was. "Well? Come on! The party's about to start!"

* * *

"Woah," whistled Brian moments later as the group stepped into the house. "I could get used to this."

Davenport's beach house was immaculately decorated with black and gold colored balloons and streamers in every direction. There were people everywhere, not leaving a lot of space to move around. A massive table ran along the kitchen island, both of which were filled with food and drinks of every kind. Although there were no banners stating an occasion, Frank had an uneasy feeling that the party was a celebration of someone's birthday rather than a regular social gathering. His suspicion increased when he noticed that the majority of the guests were under the age of 21 and though there was bartender, the man was checking IDs. He continued searching the room but neither Davenport nor Daphne were in sight. _Nancy._ Frank shook his head. He had to remember her real name.

"Isn't this great?" smiled Melody who had taken hold of Frank's arm the moment she could. She sighed happily. "He really outdid himself this time."

"So, you have been to these parties before," he scrutinized her, catching the lie.

"Well…I…I was at one," she stammered then changed the subject. "Did I tell you yet that you looked handsome tonight?"

"Yeah," Frank nodded uninterested. "Multiple times on the way here."

"Oh," Melody said awkwardly. She looked at him curiously as he looked around the room then smiled for a brief moment. "Will you excuse me for one moment? I'll be right back."

"Sure."

The moment she walked away, Frank heaved a sigh of relief. He was glad Melody was gone and hoped the girl didn't come back but he knew she would.

"Patience, Frank," his mother said softly in his ear. "I know she's a pest but we still need some information from her."

"I know that, Mom," he replied, trying not to move his lips too much. "She's just…clingy."

"Get what you need and get out," Taylor ordered. "We're here if you need us but it looks like this is going to be cut and dry. Davenport isn't there and neither is a man fitting the description of Jorge. In fact, I'm surprised there's not more security there. But I'm sure Melody will be willing to open up to you if you're just a little bit nicer, Frank."

"Then you try it, Taylor," Frank growled. He watched as Joe slipped down the hall while George stood guard nearby. Frank wished he were Joe at that moment. Anything else besides being near Melody. "Besides, if this is so cut and dry, then why do I have a bad feeling about tonight?"

"I'm sure it's just nerves, sweetheart," Laura answered. "Don't worry. Just do as Jim says and it'll all be over soon."

"Okay," he grumbled.

"Okay, what?" Melody asked, startling him. She stood behind him with a curious look on her face. She had two cups of punch in her hands. "Who were you talking to?"

"Nobody," Frank smiled shaking his head. "Just talking to myself."

"Oh," she nodded in agreement. "I do that myself sometimes. Care to join me for a stroll on the beach? The sun is setting and it's always so lovely this time of the day."

Frank thought he caught a snip of an accent that he never heard before from her but passed it off as a figment of his nerves. He could hear Taylor ordering him to go so Frank forced a smile and nodded, politely extending his elbow for her to take. As the agony of the night progressed for Frank, he hoped his brother fared better in the search of Davenport's office.

* * *

"All right, sweetheart," Davenport purred into the phone. "If that is what you want, I won't object. I'll have Jorge come by to help you since he's there on an errand anyway. I'll see you soon. Love you, Baby."

A moment later he ended the call and placed the cell phone beside his plate on the table. Davenport looked over at Nancy who sat across from him and smiled at her though she did not reciprocate the gesture. She glared at him, her face scrunched in disgust. He laughed and took a sip of wine all the while watching her.

Nancy sat with her hands in her lap. She looked around the deck of the ship, anywhere other than looking at him. Nancy thought about the so-called dress Davenport made her wear. It might as well have been lingerie considering the fact that it revealed way too much cleavage with a low scoop neckline and a hemline that little room to move without showing off her other assets. Sure, she wore tight-fitting outfits before for cases but this one was too much even for her.

A breeze blew through, lightly tossing her hair. The ship had been still since earlier in the day and Davenport told her that they were moored near a deserted island that was just outside US territorial waters. It seemed like he was trying to make sure she knew she couldn't get away this time. Nancy didn't care though. All she wanted was to figure a way out and get back home.

"I'm sure you're wondering who that was on the phone, Nancy," Davenport said nonchalantly.

"I really could care less."

"Oh, but you will since you'll be getting to know her anyway in the near future," he continued. "That was my daughter calling to tell me she saw something that she wanted. That's my girl. I give her everything she wants and if there's something she can't really have, she takes it anyway. Just like Daddy."

"You're sick," Nancy spat. "Why would you do that to a young child?"

"Ah, who says she's young, my dear," he laughed. "I may not look it but I am much older than you. She'll be meeting with us in a few hours after she attends to some business on her end. See she just turned Sweet 16 and sadly, we have to miss it which does not make me very happy. That's what tonight's party was about. But I'm making it up to her by allowing her have something she wants." He sighed and rested his chin on his hands. "All you had to was cooperate, Nancy and we would have been dining with her instead. Still, I'm enjoying your company and the time alone with you." He paused, eyeing her. "Oh, dear. Dante, will you please remove the steak knife from Nancy's hand. We don't her to hurt herself."

Dante grabbed a hold of her wrist holding the knife and squeezed. Nancy cried out and dropped the knife into his waiting hand. She glared at Davenport as she rubbed her wrist.

"I told you, Nancy," he shook his head. He took a bite out of his steak and watched her intently as he chewed. Davenport swallowed then sighed. "Is there something wrong with the food, Darling? I thought by now you would want to eat."

Nancy scoffed and looked away which seemed to anger him. Davenport rose from his seat and stepped around the small table for two.

"I grow tired of this," he said through gritted teeth. "I have been nothing but hospitable to you since the moment you came through my door."

"You? Hospitable?" she yelled, quickly standing up. "As if! You drugged me then admitted it! You made sure I had someone with me at all times so I couldn't do anything! Is that what you call 'hospitable?'"

"That was a bodyguard intended to protect you. I was afraid for your life."

"Right," Nancy said sarcastically. "Or maybe the time when you had Jorge practically drag me back into your house after I told you I was leaving! Was that 'hospitable' too?"

"A misunderstanding, my dear," Davenport replied though she could tell he was angry.

"Oh, no, wait. I got it! Your wonderful 'hospitality' when you tied me to a chair and threatened to kill me so my father would do you a favor! That's what it was, right?" She stood up to him though the man was a good six inches taller than her, her hands on her hips. "Listen up, Mr. Davenport. I am not property! I am not yours to parade around! And I sure as hell don't want to have _anything_ to do with you even if it means that I starve to death!"

Nancy's breathing was heavy as she glared at the man. Davenport narrowed his eyes at her as he processed her words. Suddenly he lashed out, backhanding her across the face and knocking her to the ground. He nodded to Dante who nodded back then left the deck. Davenport stepped forward, looming over Nancy. Although she was never scared of him before, his face now terrified her. It was as if all the kindness and care he felt for her suddenly dissolved into nothing more than sheer and utter hatred. Nancy could feel her cheek swelling from his hit and feared that there was more to come.

"The things I did for you was to protect you, Nancy," Davenport seethed with anger. He took another step forward and she scrambled away only to stop when her back hit the railing. "I thought we could be more...together if I showed you what I could give you but you threw it back in my face!"

He grabbed her ankles and pulled her to him. Nancy cried out, grabbing desperately onto anything to stop the onslaught she knew she was about to endure. When her hands were within his reach, Davenport pulled her up, her face coming only inches from his.

"I am done being nice, Nancy," he sneered. "Enjoy what's left of the rest of your life."

* * *

Joe stood against a wall throughout most of the party. He was bummed not being able to mingle with the hot girls as it seemed like a lot of fun with the dance music pulsating but he had a job to do. He was just waiting for the right moment to go. When Melody finally let her claws off Frank, Joe laughed when he saw his brother heave a sigh of relief and kept his mouth shut as he listened to him complain over the radio. Frank was just not used to having a girl fawn over him as Melody did.

Shaking his head, Joe looked around the room to make sure no one was paying attention to him. George stood nearby though she made it look like she wasn't interested in him. The mask she wore was the only thing to help him make sure it was her. She nodded for him to go and he slipped down the hall quietly, relieved to see that there were no security cameras.

As he went along, Joe tried every door, opening them to see what was inside. Each one seemed to be either a closet or a bathroom until he came to the last door which was locked. Joe pulled out his lock-picking kit and set to work on it. In record time of nine seconds, he hissed in excitement when he heard a click as the door unlocked.

"Damn, I'm good!" he whispered.

"Language, Joe!" hissed his mother though he ignored her.

"Bingo!"

Though the room was dark, he knew it was Davenport's office from the furniture scattered around but he didn't want to alert anyone by turning on a light. Joe could still see in the dying light of the sunset as he crossed the room to the desk. One wall was lined with built-in bookshelves while the rest of the room held an amazing view of the ocean through floor-to-ceiling windows. He could still make out a boat cutting across the sea in the distance.

The desk was messy but organized with piles of notes, letters, and invoices separated in neat piles. Joe began looking through everything but soon came to realize that none of it showed Davenport's ties to the pirates. The man looked like a shipping magnate though Joe knew he didn't own any large ships.

He had just about given up hope when he noticed a photo lying on top of a pile. It wasn't in a frame and seemed to be a snapshot. The photo was of two people, one of whom Joe knew to be Martin Davenport. The other, a young girl of about 16, looked familiar though he couldn't quite place her. He flipped it over and read the note on the back: _Love you, Daddy_.

"Oh, no," Joe mumbled when it dawned on him. He knew the face but the hair was much darker than he knew her as. He ran out of the room with the photo in hand and nearly bumped into George who was still standing guard at the end of the hallway.

"Geez, Joe," she said giving him a dirty look. "Do you always bump into girls like that?"

"Sorry," he grumbled searching the room for his brother. "Where's Frank?"

"He walked outside with Melody a few minutes ago," George answered. She saw the worried look on his face. "What? What's wrong?"

"Agent Taylor, do you know where Frank is?" Joe suddenly asked.

"We lost communication with him about five minutes ago, Joe," Laura answered frantically. "Joe, what's going on? Do you see him?"

"He's not here, Mom! And that's not all!" He told them what he found in the office.

"We're on our way now," Taylor announced. "Don't move. We'll have that house surrounded in ten seconds."

"Agent Taylor," Joe said grimly. "I think it's already too late."

* * *

Frank escorted Melody down the steps of the deck to the beach, the sun setting on the horizon giving off colors of deep red and orange. _Red sky at night, sailor's delight. _He thought maybe it was a good sign though he still had a bad feeling. As they walked together, Frank thought of ways to bring up what he needed to find out from Melody but he couldn't think of how to do it. When he looked out at the ocean though, he had to admit that the sunset was indeed beautiful but the company wasn't as pleasant as he would have liked it to be. Melody seemed to have a spring in her step, almost giddy about something. When they reached the sand, she took his free hand and guided him to just in front of the wooden pillars of the deck.

"This has been the best night of my life," she simpered hitting her cup with his in a toast. When she took a sip of her punch, he followed suit though wearily. She was just too happy and that bothered Frank…a lot.

When he took another sip of his drink, he realized something was off. He hadn't heard anything Agent Taylor or Joe. Frank looked over at Melody, suddenly alarmed by the mischievous look on her face. A moment later, she held up a tiny device, her smile broadening.

"What have you done?" he asked. He stepped back but stopped when he felt a body standing behind him. Frank turned to see a massive man smirking at him. Even at six foot one, Frank felt intimidated by the man's sheer size.

"Frank," Melody said sweetly, "I'm sure you've heard about Jorge from that nasty brother of yours. He's come to help me with a task and he's really good at his job. That's why Daddy sent him and he told me to use this as well." She showed off the device again. "It stops all communication devices that are within a ten foot radius of me. You should really be more careful about talking to yourself. It doesn't make you look very sane. But then again, I saw your little earbud when you tried brushing me off earlier. That hurt, you know but you came around though I think you probably were ordered to be nice. So, who were you talking to? The FBI? CIA?"

"My mother," he quipped. Frank tried to think of a way out but his mind started feeling fuzzy. He blinked hard, Melody's face becoming fuzzy. Swaying just a bit, Frank looked down at his drink realizing his mistake in actually trusting Melody.

"Oh, you're funny, Frank," she quipped, smiling broadly as she watched him. "What you're feeling right now is the same stuff that Daddy used on Daphne and Parker Hawkley. He told me I could use it. Too bad Daphne overstayed her welcome though. It's all her fault that Daddy couldn't come to my birthday party because she wouldn't behave! As if she could try to replace my mother and she's barely older than I am! But that's what Daddy wants and he usually gets what he wants, just like me. I guess I have to come to terms with her when the time comes but maybe I'll get lucky and she'll make Daddy mad. But he's making it up to me. He's giving me one last birthday present. Take a wild guess as to who that is, Frank."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I know this chapter was really long but I couldn't find the right place to stop. It was sure fun writing it though! Haha! I'd like to hear from you guys as to what you're doing to keep yourselves busy during this time of crisis (except for reading fan fiction, of course!). Positivity is the best way to get through anything! Today, I went for a walk with my youngest (my other daughter is at grandma's for a few days) and enjoyed the amazingly beautiful weather we're having. Bright blue skies and the flowers blossoming in the trees, truly a beautiful day! I've also have been catching up on shows including the CW's Nancy Drew series. Yes, I did say in an earlier story that the first episode did not impress me but I started watching the rest of the episodes and they're not bad, but they're not great either. It's too bad too because Kennedy McMann is the epitome of what we've all thought of who Nancy really is. The rest of the casting is just...bad. I still can't see Scott Wolf as Carson Drew or the guy who plays Ned/Nick. While Scott Wolf is a pretty decent actor, he just doesn't really fit the part. It was supposed to be Freddie Prinze Jr. which might have been a little more realistic so I'm wondering what happened there. As for Ned, he's stale and really has no onscreen chemistry between him and Nancy. Maybe it's just me but it's how I see it. I do like the whole ghost story though because I love me a good haunting (and I don't mean grotesque). Here's a hint for you though: there's a ghost story coming in this series! As another author has said, "It's like watching fan fiction." But then again that's how all shows and movies based upon books are. As my college instructor once said "A screenplay based on a book is nothing more than an interpretation, not a direction adaptation." If you've ever read the Sword of Truth series then watched **_**Legend of the Seeker**_** you'll understand. Okay, I think I'm done adding more to the end of the chapter. I hope that you enjoyed it and if you will, please leave a review so that I know you were here. Have a great weekend and God bless! Keep smiling! **


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Fenton and Carson stood on the deck of the USCGC Reliance searching the horizon for any ships. So far their search had come up with nothing and as the evening sun was setting, their hopes of finding Davenport's yacht diminished. The two men walked back onto the bridge where they saw Captain Matthews standing next to the helm.

"Where are we now?" Carson asked.

"We're almost to international waters," the man announced pointing toward the open ocean. "We've been cleared to pass but with caution. We don't want to cause any international incidents especially with being this close to Cuba."

"It's not going to hinder us is it?" Fenton asked.

"No," he shook his head. "We'll be good. In the morning, we'll have the search and rescue helicopter return to help us. There's a Coast Guard base not far from here on one of the islands. The more eyes we have, the better chances we'll get in finding the ship."

"Sir?" replied the communications officer. The three men turned toward the officer. "We have an urgent message from the mainland for Mr. Hardy."

Fenton's face went white when he heard his name but waited as patiently as possible for Matthews to authorize the call. Carson watched apprehensively as his friend took the headset that was handed to him.

"This is Fenton Hardy," he answered into the headset.

"Oh, thank God they patched me through."

"Laura?" he said confused. "Is everything all right?"

"No!" she cried exasperated. Fenton pulled the headset away from his ear as she continued to cry out. Both Carson and Matthews could hear everything the frantic woman was rambling. "It's awful Fenton! I don't know what to do! You're not here! Joe walked off somewhere only God knows where!"

"Woah, hold on Laura," he said as calmly as he could though his heart was pounding. "You need to slow down and tell us what happened."

"It's Frank, Fenton! He…he's gone!"

"What do you mean 'he's gone?'" he cried, raising his voice. The activity ceased upon hearing him, the crew and Carson all staring at Fenton wondering what was going on. All he could hear on the headset though was her sniffling and when he spoke again, his voice was calm and soothing. "Laura, honey, I can't do anything until you tell me what's going on."

"Fenton," Jim Taylor spoke, taking over the call. "We had a…snafu."

"Okay…exactly what does that mean?"

"Everything was going exactly according to pan," the agent replied. He continued on to explain the events of the evening. "Joe found a photo in Davenport's office. It was of him and a young woman who Joe recognized as Melody Banks. She's Davenport's daughter."

"But Frank was supposed to be with this Melody this evening," Fenton said confused. "He was to get information from her."

"We know, Fenton," Taylor said grimly. "Miss Fayne saw Frank leave with Miss Banks moments after Joe went down the hall to find Davenport's office. We lost all communication with him soon after. By the time we surrounded the house, they were gone. It couldn't have been more than thirty minutes between the time he left the house to the time we stopped the party."

"How is God's name did you let this happen?" Fenton boomed. "I thought you had tabs on them at all times! The moment you lost communication with Frank, you should have been at the door, Jim! What happened?"

"I'm sorry, Fenton," the agent pleaded. "We never lost communication with Joe but we didn't even realize we did with Frank until right before Joe mentioned the photo. If he had found the photo earlier, we would have stormed the house, I assure you. We're not even sure as to how they left the house without us noticing them leave. We had that house surrounded in seconds of Joe's alarm."

Fenton sighed, rubbing his forehead. There was nothing he could do while he was on the Coast Guard cutter and they were staying out on the ocean until they found Davenport's yacht or the schooner. It was now too dark to search for anything so wherever Melody is with Frank, they were surely long gone.

"It's okay, Jim," he replied, shaking his head in defeat. "It's what comes with the job."

"Hold on a minute, Fenton," the agent suddenly remarked. "I'll be right back."

"What's going on, Fenton?" Carson asked concerned. He listened to his friend relay the events of the evening on shore. Once Fenton was done, the lawyer stood deep in thought before speaking again. "Do we know what Melody looks like?"

"Blonde hair with red highlights, blue eyes," the man described. "Though according to Jim, in the photo, she has dark hair. She must have dyed it at some point, maybe to throw people off so that they didn't tie her to Davenport."

"That sounds like the girl I saw last night," Carson pointed out. "Maybe that was why she looked startled when she saw me. I honestly thought she was Nancy until I came up to her. But what I don't understand is why she helped Joe instead of her father."

"Joe also said he recalled a woman with red hair staring at him just before he passed out," Fenton nodded. "It had to have been her! You might have come across Melody and surprised her which you thought it meant she was upset! Melody was the lookout and I would bet she's the one who attacked Joe last night, not Jorge or the other goon. He said the blow came from behind but the goons were _in front_ of him. There was another person in the alley: Melody!"

"Fenton, are you there?" Agent Taylor called out from the headset.

"Yeah," he answered. He explained their theory on Melody and the agent agreed that it sounded plausible. "Did you find anything else out?"

"Yes, we have a lead for you guys," Taylor answered excitedly. "A couple was walking the beach and saw two people rushing in the dark to a small boat that came in from the ocean. The larger of the two looked like he was carrying a weight over his shoulder and dropped it into the boat before they took off. They said it looked like a body. We had already gone into the beach house by the time this happened. The couple said it was dark and they only saw shadows. But now we know they're out to sea. Maybe you guys can intercept them somehow."

"We'll see what we can do," Fenton sighed. "Did Joe come back?"

"Yeah, not long ago," the agent said grimly. "He's not happy but he is comforting Laura the best he can."

"Didn't they put a transponder on your boys?" Carson pointed out in the hopes of helping. Fenton snapped his fingers and nodded excitedly. He asked Taylor about it.

"When we lost communication with Frank, the transponder stopped too," he answered. Fenton shook his head grimly. "Since we didn't lose anything with Joe, I'm thinking it was territorial, maybe a handheld device that blocked a certain area or maybe he took it out under duress. Either way it was intentional. By now though, the transponder had to have been located and destroyed."

"What about his phone?"

"Found it under the deck in the sand. Joe called it when he got back. It was the only way we were able to find it. We'll keep you posted if we find any other clues though. Did you find anything out there?"

"No," Fenton shook his head. He wasn't really in the mood to talk anymore considering the situation but those on the mainland needed to know what their theories were. "Captain Matthews believes that the pirates are hiding somewhere in international waters but we have no clue as to where. There's a lot of uninhabited islands out there and we don't have the manpower to search them all."

"Well, we're currently searching the rest of Davenport's house," Taylor remarked. "When we're done, we can send out a few of our own to help in the search. I think that our case with finding Parker Hawkley should be moved out to where you are since more than likely he's out at sea with your son and Nancy. It'd be best to help the Coast Guard and Border Patrol with the search. The more eyes the better. Besides, I think Joe needs to help. He's blaming himself for not finding that picture earlier and for Frank's disappearance. Did the Coast Guard or even Mr. Drew know that Davenport had a daughter?"

Carson heard the question then shook his head negatively. "We heard rumors about the possibility that Davenport had a family at some point but the information was sketchy at best. Since we now know he has a child, he must have kept her existence secret so we couldn't use it against him. As for his wife, if there ever was one, we don't know."

"Why didn't you tell us this, Carson?" Fenton asked, his anger rising. He kept his hand on the the speaker button so that Taylor could hear everything that was said. "This could have been avoided had we known something!"

"Everything we know about Sardoni and his personal life is all based on rumor because he kept changing his name," the lawyer explained. "The only reason why we know Davenport is Sardoni is because he used the name while in Europe at one point. His kid could have been in private school at some point and he took her out since he moved around a lot. We could have had any scenario as to why we didn't know about her. How would we have known about Melody if we didn't know much about her parents as well? Even if I had said anything about a child, you would never have been able to use the information since we didn't have all of it. I'm sorry, Fenton, but it wouldn't have made any difference in what happened. Frank would still be missing."

Fenton looked at Carson in thought. The man was right and there was really no use in arguing it even if he wanted to. Once he finished the call with Taylor, he looked out the window of the bridge at the ocean beyond. No one said a word though Captain Matthews ordered the ship to head toward a possible trajectory of where the pirates might have gone. Carson eyed his friend knowing full well what was going through the man's head considering his own experience with Nancy. The only thing they could do at that moment was to keep a watch out for pirate schooner and pray they find their kids before it was too late.

* * *

Nancy sat in the corner of the room, her knees brought up to her chest. Her cheek was swollen from Davenport's hit and she tried to rub the pain away. She knew she overstepped her bounds when she defied the man by denying him but she wasn't going to let the man think he stood a chance with her. The mere thought of him disgusted her and she wasn't afraid of what he was going to do to her when he returned. Well, not entirely.

She looked around the state room, cringing at the thought of what could happen. Davenport dumped her there causing her to think the worst was yet to come. However, the man hit her again, giving her the black eye she was now sporting before leaving the room without doing anything else to her. It was much to Nancy's relief but the agony of waiting for what was to come next weighed heavily on her. Though not much scared her in her line of work, being alone with someone with malicious intent scared her to the core.

As she sat there, Nancy thought of her father and where he was at that moment. She imagined that the moment he got off the phone earlier that day, he would drop everything to come to Florida to find her. That is if George hadn't already called him before that. She knew her father didn't trust very many investigators especially after what happened to her mother but she wondered who he would trust to locate her. That mistrust was part of the reason he scoffed at her when she had a case but Carson could never stop his daughter from pursuing the truth.

When her father told her about the case that killed her mother, Nancy wondered what really happened and not just what he told her. She knew the name of the man her father blamed for her mother's death but still wanted to know the truth. That search led her to Fenton Hardy. Not knowing anything other than his name, Nancy called the police station mentioned in her father's notes on the case. It was soon after she graduated high school that she made the call only to find out that Fenton had left fifteen years before…right after her mother's death. From there, it didn't take long to find him through Google though his name was only mentioned and a picture wasn't available.

Carson was always very critical of Fenton Hardy, blaming him for the death of Kate. Nancy listened to his rants for years, wondering if this man was really as bad as her father said he was. Instead of calling him though, Nancy continued an online search before coming across an article in his hometown's newspaper which finally showed a rare photo of the elusive detective and his family.

When Frank ran into her on the beach, Nancy immediately recognized him from the photo she saw before. There was something else about him that was familiar as well and she soon realized that he had to have been the young boy she thought of so much as she grew up. Still, she was shocked to see him there and even more shocked when he gave her a fake name. But as much as she wanted to talk to him, she couldn't stick around because Jorge would soon be showing up to look for her. The moment Frank turned his back to wave to his friends, Nancy dived back into the ocean and came up for air in a crowded area so no one could see her. As she walked back to the Boardwalk, she watched Frank from a distance and though about what he was doing there.

The next day, Nancy had another chance only this time it was Joe who bumped into her, though neither one of them was looking where they were going. Although she was a little annoyed at the fact that she was doused in soda, she was just as surprised to see the younger Hardy brother. Nancy had slipped away from Jorge again in order to meet George on the Boardwalk. Her intent was to leave Davenport's house for good. The man was getting suspicious of her and she knew it was only a matter of time before he found out who she was. But when Joe walked right into her, the whole plan went awry giving Jorge the time to find her.

When she escaped the last time and saw Joe, Nancy's hopes increased that finally she'd be able to leave with his help. He was able to get the upper hand on both Jorge and the other goon but when Melody showed up, Nancy was too late in warning Joe. The last thing she saw was him hitting the ground and she prayed that he was okay.

Nancy's thoughts continued to roam. Although it was late, she didn't want to fall asleep for fear of waking up to see Davenport waiting. As she thought about the events of the past few weeks, her eyes began to droop and she finally succumbed to sleep.

It was hours later when she heard the tell-tale sound of a lock shifting open. Nancy held her breath, fearful that Davenport was returning to take what he thought was his. Instead, Dante walked in and silently pulled her from the room. She looked at the bedside clock to see that it was nearly two in the morning and wondered how long she had been asleep.

Dante guided her down the hall, his hand firmly on her arm. What surprised her was that he took her lower into the bowels of the yacht. She thought that more than likely she wouldn't be walking back up to the deck again, that her fate was within the walls of the massive yacht. They entered a room that was devoid of furniture though there were a few people inside.

"Ah, there you are, my dear!" Davenport boasted as if his earlier outburst on her was forgotten. As Nancy stepped into the room, he eyed her face while Melody snickered behind him. "I'm sorry I had to mar your lovely face, Nancy but I'm so glad you could join us. I'm also sorry that I ignored you but Melody brought something to my attention that needed to be addressed. Too bad we can't find anything out just yet since our new guest is still out. Are you sure you didn't give him too much, Melody?"

"I don't think I did," she pouted. "But why can't I keep him, Daddy? You promised!"

"I know that, Sweetheart," he purred at his daughter, giving her a dazzling smile. "But when we find out who he really is, it might change what we need to do next. Not very many teenagers walk around with ear bud communication devices and tracking transponders, unless there's some sort of new challenge out there I don't know about. But we need to know who he's working for before we do anything else. You know that."

"Humpf." The girl folded her arms and leaned against the wall. She stared at the floor where a body lay on the ground.

Nancy followed the look and gasped when she saw Frank unconscious on the floor. Davenport noticed the reaction and turned to look at her intently. Nancy ignored him and looked around the room to find another person sitting against the wall, his face gaunt and pale as he met her eyes. She immediately recognized him as the man who tried to hit on her at Davenport's party two weeks before. Hawkley is what their captor called him but she didn't put it together until that moment. Nancy remembered that her father was working with a Senator Hawkley on the case he was dealing with. That was the man's "worth" that Davenport spoke about. He was taken to stop his father from passing new legislation that would put Davenport behind bars.

"Nancy, dear," Davenport simpered, stepping up to her. Her head turned toward him. "Do you know this young man?" He gestured toward Frank. Nancy shook her head quickly, keeping her mouth shut. He stepped closer though she stepped away from him, avoiding his stare. Grabbing her arm, Davenport twisted it behind her back and rammed her into the wall. "I'm not going to ask again. Do. You. Know. Him?"

"N…no!" she cried out in pain. Nancy heard Melody laugh again and wanted nothing more than to knock her teeth out. Davenport twisted her arm harder and she thought he was going to break it in the process. "I'm telling you, I don't know him! I…I just ran into him a few days ago, that's all. He said his name was Harrison!"

Davenport let her go and Nancy slid to the ground, her chest heaving and her arm hurting. He knelt down to her level and stared at her. For a split second, she saw something in his jacket that she knew would help her get out of that room. Before he could speak again, Nancy lashed out at him, landing a right hook square in the jaw. Dante and Jorge tried to get to their boss but Nancy was faster. As Davenport was trying get back up, she kicked up right into his groin for the second time in two days. The man doubled over and Nancy grabbed a gun that was hidden in his jacket and aimed it at Davenport. Melody cried out in alarm though it did no good. Nancy had the upper hand and she was going to use it to get herself and the other two away.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I'm sorry it took me a little longer to get this one out. I had a hard time figuring out what I wanted but I think I like it and the direction that it's going. I hope that you all do too. Anyway, it's Palm Sunday and the official start of Holy Week. It's hard to believe that for the first time in years, I won't be attending church for Easter Sunday through no fault of my own. But that doesn't mean I can't watch it. We've been blessed to be going to a church that streams weekly no matter what and everyday they give out messages of hope, not just on Sundays. This virus is not going to stop us nor defeat us. Count on that. Thanks to all who have continued to read and also to those who leave a review. I love what you have to say and always look forward to your responses. Like I said before, I'm hoping to keep it to around 15 chapters though at the rate we're going, it might be more along the lines of 20 but you never know! I'm trying, man! A little tidbit about this chapter, I know absolutely nothing about the Coast Guard or its workings. I Google just about everything though when I do add something that is real. The USCGC Reliance is a real cutter in the US Coast Guard and is stationed in Florida hence the reason it was chosen. Everything that was written though is, of course, a work of fiction. Thanks to all who have served whether it be the Coast Guard or any of our other military branches. Also thanks to all who are considered essential workers but most especially to those in the medical field. You are the real heroes right now. Thanks for everything that you do in order to keep the people of our country healthy. All the essential workers are heroes now and we appreciate everything that you do as we go through this crisis. Thank you! As usual, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and if you will, please leave your mark so that I know you were here! Until next time, have a great rest of the weekend and God bless! Stay healthy and safe everyone!**


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Stay back!" Nancy yelled firmly, keeping her aim on Davenport. Dante and Jorge had been advancing slowly but stopped. "Throw down your weapons!"

When no one moved, she cocked the gun, the click echoing loudly in the room. "Now!" she screamed. Davenport nodded and the two men pulled out their guns and threw them onto the floor. Melody remained silent though she glared at Nancy throughout the whole ordeal.

"You're not going to get far, Nancy," Davenport said through gritted teeth. He was trying to get up but wondered if she would pull the trigger if he moved. "When this is all over, you are going to regret this."

"You're a pig that belongs in jail along with your crazy ass daughter and crew," she retorted. "Now move away from the door!"

Jorge and Melody helped him up as Nancy motioned to Parker who had stood up, his mouth open in shock. "Can you carry him?" she asked nodding toward Frank. Parker nodded cautiously and threw Frank's limp body over his shoulder then shifted toward the door. Nancy kneeled and picked up the other guns, her eyes never leaving Davenport or his men.

"I don't think you can pull that trigger," Melody sneered.

Nancy trained her gun at the girl with a steady arm but didn't pull the trigger. "Try me, little girl." She waited for Parker to slowly make his way out before leaving their captors in the small room. The moment she closed the door, Nancy used one of the guns and a board that was nearby to wedge the wheel in place so the others couldn't get out. She looked up at the round window to see Davenport glaring at her sending chills down her spine. If they didn't get off the ship fast, that man was going to kill her slowly and she knew it. Nancy ran off, her bare feet slapping the floor as the sounds of pounding echoed around her.

"Where to, Beautiful?" Parker asked watching Nancy with intent as she caught up to him. "This one's not exactly light and I'm already feeling tired."

"I'm sorry," she stated sympathetically. "I didn't want to leave either of you behind with them. They probably would have taken it out on you if I did. Will you be okay with Frank for now until we get out of here?"

"I think so," he answered though Nancy wasn't quite sure. Parker did look tired but the adrenaline pumping through him was probably helping him. "How exactly are we going to get out of here? We're in the middle of the ocean and I know we can't swim anywhere."

"I know," she sighed, nodding. She looked around the corner for other crew members then moved as quickly as she could through the empty halls. "I'm thinking as we're moving. I saw the opportunity back there and took it without really thinking it through."

"Great," Parker laughed. He grunted as he shifted Frank in his arms. "Not what I really wanted to hear but it's your show."

The two moved quickly through the ship, avoiding the other crew members along the way though there weren't very many. Their one saving grace was that the room they were in was deep in the ship so they were hoping that it would take a while for someone to realize their boss was missing. That is unless Davenport had a way to contact someone.

When they finally reached the deck of the yacht, it was empty with it still being in the middle of the night. Nancy searched for a way off and soon found two other ships that were bobbing in the water alongside the yacht, one of which was a schooner. She looked at Parker who gave her a wary look then the two rushed to the smaller of the two vessels which was a small jet boat. No sooner than they dropped onto the boat did they hear shouts coming from above them. Their escape had been found out! Parker gently laid Frank down onto the floor while Nancy untied the line and pushed them away from the yacht.

"Nancy!" boomed a voice. She looked up to see Davenport glowering down at her. He was flanked by his daughter and two goons on the top deck of the yacht. "You better pray I don't get my hands on you!"

"Go!" she cried. Parker started the engine and maneuvered the boat across the ocean in no particular direction. Gunshots rang out though dissipated as they moved into the night, leaving the yacht in the distance. Nancy moved next to Parker, her hand on her hip and her breathing labored from the escape.

"Do you have any idea what direction is Florida?" he asked glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Unfortunately, I think it's back the that way," she pointed behind them. "Are you going to be okay driving this thing?"

"Oh, yeah," Parker waved dismissively. "We have a similar one at home. I'm just glad we didn't get onto the bigger boat or we would be in trouble. I have no idea how to steer a ship like that. Is he going to be okay?"

The two turned toward Frank who was still unconscious, obliviously to what was going on. He was slouched over and didn't move as Nancy knelt next him, checking his pulse which was steady.

"He seems fine," she answered. She hissed in pain, grabbing her side. "Whatever Melody gave him, I think she might have given him too much though or he would have woken up by now."

"Well, whenever he does, I hope he can fight," Parker pointed out. "Once the sun comes up, they'll be able to find us easier and we'll need his help to fight them off. Who are you anyway? Not very many beautiful girls such as yourself can fight like that plus piss off a bad guy as bad as you did. I really don't think he enjoyed that."

"My name is Nancy Drew," she introduced herself. Nancy rose and stumbled toward him and stared out into the dark ocean. "I was sent to find information on a series of pirate raids. Davenport was high on the Border Patrol and Coast Guard's suspect list. Unfortunately, my first night here was that party we met at." She went on to explain everything that happened over the course of two weeks. "We need to get back to shore or at least find a Coast Guard base. Then we can get word to our families that we're fine. Can you double back but steer clear of the yacht? Any distance we can get between them and us before the sun comes up would be better. Plus we shouldn't really move during the night. Save the gas for when we need it the most. How much do we have anyway?"

"Well, it looks like they just filled it because it's almost full," Parker pointed to the gas gauge. "I just don't know the gas mileage on this baby. But I think we need to find a place to stop to rest for a little while. I know we need to get as far away as we can from that psycho especially after what you just did to him but we won't do ourselves any good if we're not rested. And Lord knows what Davenport will do to you if we're caught."

"I know," Nancy nodded grimly. She didn't want to even think about that at the moment. She held her breath as another bought of pain ripped through her side. Nancy knew she wasn't going to last much longer but she needed to make sure she could trust Parker and that they get as far away from the yacht as they could before he stopped the engine.

Parker looked at her with concern though he didn't say anything. There was something about the girl that intrigued him from the first time he saw her at that party. He may have been a little tipsy that night but he did remember her. It was the only thing he remembered the whole night and all he wanted to do was find her. His wish finally came true though Parker had no idea how to talk to her at that moment nor did he think it was a good time to say anything.

About an hour after their escape, Nancy was sweating but she still hadn't said anything about her predicament. She didn't want to worry Parker and Frank was still out. She was just going to have to continue on until they found a spot to for the night. A low moan suddenly erupted behind them and the two at the sound. While Parker stayed at the helm, Nancy knelt down next to Frank. She shifted a hair away from his face as she stared at him. His head moved at her touch and she snapped her hand back. Cautiously, Nancy moved to check him again only to stop when he grabbed a hold of her wrist and squeezed until she cried out. Frank's eyes slowly opened revealing the deep brown eyes she remembered so clearly as a child. He looked at her, blinking as if trying to focus. The only light around them came from the floor leaving shadows on her face.

"Oh, God. You…you're not Melody," Frank mumbled when he looked closely at her.

Nancy smiled and laughed nervously. "I sincerely hope not. Are you okay, Frank?"

He sighed and gently let go of her wrist, angry at himself for squeezing it. Frank tried to get up but stopped, putting his head in his hand. "What the hell did she give me?"

"Probably the same stuff that her crazy father gave us," Parker quipped from the wheel.

"Father?" Frank repeated confused. He looked around seeing nothing but water around them. "Where the hell are we?"

"It's a long story," Nancy replied. She stood up slowly and held out a hand to help him. As Frank stood up, she swayed slightly putting out her other hand on a railing. Even in the dim light, he could see the handprint of blood as she let go.

"Woah, are you okay?" he asked her holding her around her waist. Nancy didn't say anything, her eyes glazing from pain. Frank had seconds to react when Nancy's eyes rolled up into her head and she passed out.

"What just happened?" Parker cried out, turning to see what was going on. He stopped the engine the moment he saw her pass out and helped Frank lay Nancy down onto the floor of the boat. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! She just fell over!" Frank cried. He noticed the dark spot on her dress and ripped it open slightly to see blood flowing out of a wound in her side. Frank flipped her over to see nothing out her back. "There's no exit wound. Were we shot at?"

"Yeah, when we escaped Davenport's yacht," the man nodded. "She didn't say anything about being shot though I suspected something was up when she started sweating not long ago. But she was more worried about us getting away than about herself. I would be too if you saw what she did to Davenport. I don't want to be caught either. Is…is she going to be okay?"

"As long as we can get her to a doctor," he stated. He took off his jacket but stopped when he stared at Nancy's short dress, not that it was much of one. Frank ripped her dress some more, revealing more skin. He was thankful that Parker couldn't see his face for he was blushing deeply. Gently laying his jacket over her, Frank pulled a pillow case off one of the pillows and applied pressure to her wound. "God, why do women where such a small amount of clothes anyway?" he muttered then looked up at Parker who was watching him and did a double take. "You're Parker Hawkley, aren't you?"

The man nodded. "Yeah. Nancy said your name was Frank, right?" Frank nodded though he didn't take his eyes off her. "I met her at a party a few weeks ago but never got the chance to say much else. We were drugged not long after I met her and I woke up in a room of Davenport's yacht. I've been there ever since." He bit his lip as he watched Frank work to stop the bleeding. "She saved our lives back there. I've never seen a woman stand up to anyone like that before."

"Well, then, we need to make sure we save her life now," Frank stated. He looked around the small boat. There wasn't much there but he knew there had to be something of use. "Can you find a first aid kit? The faster we get that bullet out the better."

Parker set to work on the small boat and easily found a first aid kit underneath one of the seats along with a blanket. He handed the kit to Frank then covered Nancy with the blanket before sitting back to watch. "Have you done this before?"

"No," he answered grimly looking through the kit. Frank smiled nervously. "Let's not tell her that, okay?"

He looked at Nancy and said a small prayer before continuing on. There was one thing that came to mind other than getting away from Davenport. After witnessing Carson yell at his father for something that happened 16 years before, what would the lawyer do to him if he lost his only daughter?

* * *

"That little shit is going to pay for this!" yelled Davenport. He stared at his reflection, his jaw swollen after it had been nearly dislocated by Nancy's fierce punch. His eyes shifted to Jorge who stood behind him. "Are you sure you hit her?"

His henchman nodded. "She didn't go down but I could have sworn I did."

"Good. I hope it hurts. Are we close to them?"

"It is too dark to tell, sir," Jorge stated, "though I honestly do not think that they know where they are going. We might have to wait until the sun rises to see anything on the water."

Davenport stormed out of his bathroom. He was furious that his leverages over Senator Hawkley and Carson Drew walked right off his ship. Still they had another day before the deadline and more time to find them and kill them before they let anyone know they'd escaped. "Do we have any word on where the Coast Guard is searching?"

"They've ventured further out according to the radar," the man replied. "But they're still way off from where we're at."

"Did you check to make sure that kid you brought in didn't have any transponders?"

"We did and found only one," Jorge nodded. "We left his phone behind as well."

"Good." Davenport stopped to think but the pain in his face caused him to stop. He grabbed a vase and threw it against the wall, shattering it. "Arggh! She is dead! No one is to touch that little brat but me! Have the _Tempest_ go in one direction and we'll take another! By now they've probably realized that the US is behind them and they're doubling back. Whichever direction they went, we'll find them. And find out who that kid is! Then we'll know who else we're dealing with."

"Melody said he was from New York," his henchman stated. "We hacked into the state's database and are currently looking through driver's licenses. He has a brother who was with him. He's the one who stopped Miss Drew on the Boardwalk so I know what he looks like. We will find out who he is for you."

"Fine, just...just leave," the boss ordered, waving for Jorge to leave. Davenport gingerly sat down in a recliner and propped his feet up. He still hurt from when Nancy kicked him again and he vowed to break her legs before he killed her. He pressed his fingertips together and stared at the wall. Yes, Nancy was definitely going to pay dearly for humiliating him in front of his daughter and his men. Now to think of her punishment…this was going to be fun.

* * *

"Joe, are you going to be all right?" Laura asked. He was sitting on a bench near the beach, his eyes closed though she knew he was still awake. It was nearly four in the morning and the Secret Service was still searching Davenport's house. Unfortunately it looked as if the man either never kept his information in his office or he cleaned it out before he left for there was no incriminating evidence anywhere in his house. The search was almost done and the Secret Service was about to leave. The party goers including Bridget, Cal, and Brian had left hours before.

"Huh?" Joe looked up at his mother. He could still see the tear tracts on her face from crying though the tears had long ago dried up. "Oh, yeah. I'll be fine…as long as Frank is."

She smiled at her son and sat down next to him. He looked over at her and she patted his leg. "Your brother will be fine. It's not your fault this happened, Sweetheart."

"But, Mom, if I had only found that photo earlier," he protested.

"And Melody might have gotten desperate, Joe," Laura finished calmly. "You don't know what would have happened. I worry every day about you boys, including your father. The work you do is dangerous but it helps so many people in the process so I understand why you three do what you do. It calms my nerves knowing that. How about we go back to the hotel and get some sleep. Maybe by the time we wake up, we'll have heard from your father. The Coast Guard is working tirelessly on finding that ship and I know with your father and Carson there, they'll find them soon. You'll see."

"But I can't just sit here, Mom," Joe replied. "I need to be out there helping."

Laura smiled again. Both of her boys were strong in their own way. Frank was the more sensitive one but methodical and mindful. He was resilient in every way and able to cope with problems as they came. Joe on the other hand was funny and witty but ever supportive of those around him. He was sensitive like his brother though in a different way. Joe was more likely to blame himself for something bad happening but remained stoic in helping in every way he could so it was understandable that he was so adamant about sticking around. Laura leaned over and hugged her youngest son.

"You need some sleep, Sweetheart," she stated. "You won't be of any help if you're falling over from sleep deprivation. Everyone has their limits, even you."

"I hope I'm not interrupting," replied a voice. The mother and son turned to see Agent Taylor walking toward them, his face tired.

"Not at all, Jim," Laura smiled. "What's going on?"

"Well, we're done with the house," he announced. "There was nothing of importance that could help the case against Davenport but there was a safe that we cracked that had a lot of money in it. I'm surprised it was left behind but it might have been a mistake for all we know. I also found out that my tech team was able to get those photos off Fenton's phone. We sent them on to the Coast Guard but I was wondering if Joe would like to join us in the search out at sea. You too, Laura, if you'd like. It'll be several hours before we reach the rendezvous point with the _Reliance_ so you can catch some sleep on the way. You in?"

"Oh, yeah!" Joe whooped, rising quickly from the bench.

Laura laughed and shook her head. "Most definitely." She looked out at the ocean and thought about Frank, Nancy, and Parker and the danger that they were in. _Don't worry, kids._ She thought. _Help is on the way._

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Thanks to everyone who continues to read the story and a special thanks to those who leave reviews! I appreciate your words and love reading what you have to say. We're getting there though. I'm thinking a few more chapters and then we're done…hopefully. The next story is forming as well. I do plan on several stories for this particular series though I'm not sure as to how many at the moment. I hope that everyone is keeping safe and healthy at home. My oldest daughter had her first Zoom classroom meeting yesterday which was really cute. My how technology has changed since I was a kid. When I was her age, computers still had the DOS system (no Windows yet) and video chatting and cell phones weren't even in existence (yes, I'm showing my age). It was still fun for her since she got to see all her classmates and teacher plus she showed off her mini soccer ball that she got from Soccer Shots. Next week they're sending work for her to do from home which will be good because I'm running out of ideas! Lol! Thank goodness for Homeschool Pop on YouTube. Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and if you will, please leave a review so that I know you were here. Hopefully you have some beautiful weather and you get out to enjoy it! If not, you can still have fun indoors! Have a great day and God bless! Stay healthy my friends.**


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"Can you shine that a little closer?" Frank asked as he continued to work on finding the bullet. Parker shifted the flashlight directly over him though it seemed as if Frank was still having trouble. The clamp from the first aid kit kept slipping in his hands. He had been cautious in trying to get the bullet out so he wouldn't cause more damage which made it for slow going in the process. "Damn it! I can't get the sucker! It's too far in!"

"Can you leave it?" Parker asked trying to help.

"I could but if we don't get to shore soon, she'll go into shock or worse," Frank sighed looking down at Nancy. He noticed the black eye and slightly swollen cheek which angered him even more. Even though he hasn't met him yet, Davenport was quickly becoming more and more like the monster Carson Drew pegged him to be. Frank wiped his forehead with the back of his wrist while keeping his other hand on Nancy's wound. He didn't know what else to do.

"So, um, do you know Nancy?" Parker asked cautiously, eyeing Frank with interest. He looked at the man knowing the man was just trying to help.

"No, not personally," Frank answered. "Never met her before two days ago and even then she used a fake name. My brother of all people figured that one out before I did."

"Huh?"

He laughed. "Joe's not exactly the brightest bulb but he does have his moments. He's a big Scooby-Doo fan so he got Nancy's fake name right away." Parker gave him a confused look. "She used the name 'Daphne Blake' as her alias."

"Oh, I get it," Parker laughed. "What brought you to Florida though? I heard Davenport saying something about you having a communications device and transponder. I'm sorry but you don't seem old enough to be a cop."

"That's because I'm not," Frank stated. He looked down at Nancy and huffed. He closed his eyes then plunged his fingers into the bullet hole until he cried out a moment later. "Got it!"

Parker watched in surprise as Frank pulled out the stubborn bullet. He held it up to examine it. "I can't believe you just did that," the man said astonished.

"Me neither," Frank dropped the bullet into a cup holder then searched the first aid kit for anything else of use. "It was the only thing I could think of since the stupid clamp wasn't working. Now I can sew her wound up and pray she's okay. She lost a lot of blood though."

"If her resilience is anything like I saw on Davenport's ship, Nancy won't let death take her," Parker laughed.

"Geez, what'd she do?" Frank found a sewing kit mixed in with the first aid and began the slow process of stitching. "Keep talking. It'll help."

"Well, um," Parker stammered watching Frank work, "she punched Davenport in the jaw." He stopped briefly, his face turning a slight shade of green though he held himself pretty well. "Then she kicked him in a very sensitive area before taking his gun and aiming it at him."

"Ouch," Frank cringed. "No wonder you said Davenport was pissed. After hearing that, I agree with your assessment of Nancy. She'll fight it." He stopped, concentrating on what he was doing before continuing. "In answer to your earlier question, my brother and I were sent here to look for you."

"Me?" The man was surprised to hear it. "Did my father send you?"

"Not exactly," he shook his head. "The Secret Service did. The agent in charge is an old friend of my dad's and he thought it would be easier if two young people came in to look than sending in agents that could easily be found out. Nancy was here on a different assignment with the Border Patrol and Coast Guard."

"So is she an agent?"

"No, not that I know of. I don't know why she was the one who was investigating the pirates. Could be because her father is the attorney looking to prosecute Davenport."

"Her father is Carson Drew?" Parker asked surprised.

"Yeah." Frank looked at him. "How'd you know?"

"Dad has worked with him," he said nonchalantly. "He's a good man and a good lawyer. Very focused on the job. I've met him but never had to pleasure of meeting Nancy until this." Parker cleared his throat. "So, are you and your brother detectives or something?"

"Well, we are in our spare time," Frank laughed though he still concentrated on Nancy. He welcomed the conversation to keep his mind off the fact that they were floating in the middle of the ocean with no place to go. "Joe's still in high school and I'm a freshman in college."

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so young," Parker whistled. "You'll have to tell me your exploits some day."

"There's not much to tell," the young man stated. "This is the first one we've been assigned to since I left for college in the fall. I never realized how much I missed the intrigue of a mystery to solve until now. It gets my brain going during mundane times and school work doesn't really cut it anymore. There. Done."

Frank cleaned the wound as best he could then covered it with a clean piece of gauze. "It's not the best but it should stop the bleeding."

"Where'd you learn to do that anyway?"

"Boy scouts," he laughed. "And the internet." Frank looked at the horizon where the sky was getting lighter as the sun slowly rose. "I can take over in steering the boat if you want to catch some sleep. I don't think Nancy will be up for a while either if you're wondering."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Frank nodded. "Whatever Melody gave me must have helped with the sleep problems I've been having because that was one of the best nights of sleep I've had in a while. I'm pretty wired at the moment. You, on the other hand, look as if you're going to fall over. Thanks for the help though."

"Anytime," Parker replied. He shifted himself onto the bench seat before looking back at Frank. "By the way, what did Melody want with you?"

Frank blushed embarrassed. "I think she has a crush on me and wanted to keep me as a pet or something." He shivered at the thought.

"Sorry. I understand completely. That kid is one Froot Loop shy of a full bowl and she's spoiled rotten to boot."

"So you met her too?"

"Oh, yeah. At the party before I got drunk and all this started. But even drunk, I'd never touch the kid. She was too clingy for my taste. After I saw Nancy on the beach and asked her to come up, Melody finally caught on and laid off. I don't think she took that too kindly either. She tried again when I was held on the yacht but she stopped coming around after a while."

"She sounds like she's a little loopy," Frank laughed lightly. He thought about it for a moment. Melody seemed to be the catalyst in everything that had happened in the case. She was jealous of Nancy from the start which explained the rant before he passed out on the beach plus she was there when Parker was taken. It sounded like Melody was more than just a spoiled brat but maybe Davenport was just trying to keep his little girl happy while he committed his own sins.

Parker didn't say any more and soon Frank heard him breathing deeply in sleep. He started the engine and drove the boat in the direction they were facing in the hopes that he hit the mainland or at least an inhabited island or friendly boat. After listening to Parker for so long, Frank welcomed the solitude in order to bring his thoughts together. He stole a look at Nancy, who rested peacefully on the floor. Once the sun was up, maybe he'd be able to take a look at her again to make sure she was okay. The only thing he could do at that moment though was to ensure that they didn't get caught again by Davenport and his creepy daughter.

* * *

"Anything?" Davenport asked the captain.

"Nothing, Sir," the man shook his head. "The seas are calm and the sun is bright. No matter where they are, we should be able to see them on the water."

"Keep looking," the boss grumbled. "The quicker they're found the better. I don't want them to get word to the mainland that they've escaped. Our only saving grace is that boat they're on has no long-range radio to call out from."

"Yes, Sir." The captain stepped away and sent orders to the rest of the crew while Davenport stared out onto the ocean in thought.

It was nine in the morning and the sun was up and blazing already though there were no ships or boats on the horizon. Davenport had ordered the _Tempest_ to set sail in the opposite direction an hour after Nancy, Parker, and Frank escaped. Jorge was given the command while Dante stayed behind with his boss, overlooking the online search for whoever the kid was that Jorge and Melody brought from the mainland. Davenport was annoyed that they hadn't found the tiny boat yet but knew they were bound to find their prey.

As if in answer to his problem, Dante suddenly burst onto the bridge, several papers clutched in his hand. His boss turned toward the man as Melody came in behind him, a smile etched on her young face.

"Well?" Davenport asked impatiently. "Did you find anything?"

"Yes, we found him," the man announced proudly. He handed a paper to his boss and waited, holding onto another paper.

"Frank Hardy, huh?" the boss nodded, looking at the copy of the driver's license. "Do we know anything else?"

"As a matter of fact, we do," Dante smirked, handing the second page to him. "He's the son of a private investigator out of New York, former NYPD. I recognized him too. He was on the _Tempest_ during the last raid on that dinner cruise. We thought he was drunk so we threw him overboard. More than likely he's dead."

"I highly doubt that, Dante," Davenport replied angrily. "If this kid was at Melody's party last night, his father is surely not dead. Did you think at all that this man may have taken information off the _Tempest_? He could have stolen plans or seen something for all you know! That was stupid on your part, Dante! You should have put a bullet in his head then thrown him overboard! Now we more than likely can't return to the island for the goods we left there! Millions of dollars lost because of your incompetence!"

"But…he was drunk!"

"It was a _ruse_, you moron! You should have thought of that then!" he yelled. "But what angers me more is the fact that you neglected to tell me this information in the first place! If you saw this man on the dinner cruise raid then the damn Coast Guard knows we are going after them!" Davenport stopped his rant, his chest heaving in anger and frustration. Melody came up to her father and gently placed a hand on his arm, calming him.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, Princess," he smiled at her though he was still angry.

"It's not Dante's fault he didn't say anything," she simpered. "I think anyone would have done the same thing given the situation. How would we have known that this Fenton Hardy was on the ship. He wasn't even on the ship's manifest when we looked closer. But that's not the only thing we found, Daddy."

"Oh?"

"He knows Carson Drew personally," Melody smirked. "They have a history that ended badly years ago. Maybe it's something that we can use to our advantage."

"And how did you acquire this information, Sweetheart?"

"I looked into it more and found an article from sixteen years ago," she smiled. "Then I made a few phone calls to some of our friends in New York. It was all very easy to find once I knew where to look. I also saw Carson Drew in town…_before_ you called him. I didn't realize it was him until I saw his picture in our search. Someone must have called him for him to be here already."

"That's my girl!" Davenport cried bringing his daughter in for a bear hug. He kissed her head numerous times before letting her go. "I love it when you're bad! And I agree. This information will definitely come in handy when the time is right." He stopped then thought for a moment, his demeanor suddenly changing. "Then that means Nancy lied to me! She knew who he was the whole time and she _lied_! That little shit! We need to find those three and put an end to this charade! I will make them pay for this and we will let the whole world know not to mess with us!"

* * *

"We'll be meeting up with the _Reliance_ in a few hours," replied Captain Gregory Stanton of the USCGC _Vigilant_. "We have some quarters down below if you would like to take the time to change or rest up until we get to the rendezvous point."

The _Vigilant_ had pulled away from the Coast Guard base just an hour before but it had taken nearly that long for the captain to finally address the newcomers. After dropping by their hotel for a change of clothes, Laura, Joe, George, Agent Taylor, and several Secret Service agents joined the crew to help with the search for Davenport's yacht and their loved ones.

It was just after nine in the morning and Joe was ready to crash after the long night. As the group settled in to their quarters, he noticed George stay back in the common area, her face upset so he decided to talk to her to find out what was going on before taking the captain's advice.

"You okay, George?" Joe asked plopping down on the couch next to her. The girl quickly wiped a tear away then faced him, her eyes still betraying the hurt she felt. "You know you didn't have to come with us on this trip. We would have understood."

"I know, Joe," she stated. "But I needed to be here. Nancy's my best friend and I let her down. The least I could do is make sure she comes out of this okay."

"Why do you think you let her down?"

"Why do you think you let Frank down?" she retorted. "I think we're both in the same boat here."

"Touché."

"I'm sorry," George replied sadly. "I just sometimes go on the offensive when I'm upset. I came here to help Nancy and I feel like I didn't do that. She asked for help but I couldn't make it and neither could my cousin, Bess."

"So how did you end up with Bridget and the idiot duo?" Joe asked confused.

George laughed. "Cal and Brian are just good friends out for a good time. They're not that bad. As for Bridget, she's a friend of mine from college who incidentally had a trip planned for Florida with her roommate. She heard about me not being able to help Nancy so when Jessie cancelled on her because of a family emergency, she called me to see if I wanted to go. I took the chance and Jessie's identity since everything was in her name. I got a fake ID and everything to pass off as Jessie Markus. Cal and Brian had never met her so they never thought the wiser not that they would notice anyways. Nancy saw me one morning and we were able to hook up every morning since until Davenport had Jorge on her every second of the day. The guy wasn't stupid either so our meetings were only a few minutes long after that, mainly to make sure she was okay. Bridget was our lookout and would warn us if she saw Jorge coming.

"That day you bumped into Nancy was different though," she continued. "She was going to leave with me that morning to get away from Davenport. He was starting to get really suspicious and Nancy was worried about her cover being compromised. That was why I was so upset and when we saw what happened on Davenport's deck, I had no choice but to call Mr. Drew. He needed to know. Nancy never told him she was taking the case. I'm so sorry for the charade, Joe. I couldn't trust anyone besides Bridget."

"It's okay, George," he smiled. "I understand why you didn't say anything. I wouldn't trust us either considering. But what about Melody? Where did she fit in?"

George sighed deeply. "Melody came to us the first day we arrived. She didn't have any interest in Cal or Brian. I'm thinking it's because they were so wild. I honestly think she just wanted some friends who were close to her own age and we were the closest she could find. The other group she was with went home the same day and none of them really wanted her around from what I saw. When you and Frank arrived though, she seemed giddy more than she ever was with us. Melody must have had a crush on your brother since the moment she met him."

"Yeah, and Frank wanted nothing to do with her," Joe laughed then sighed at the thought of his brother. He wondered where he and the others were at that moment. "He literally complained about her before the party last night. I wonder what she saw in him that made her go cuckoo." The two got quiet for a moment, thinking about their friends and loved ones. "What…why are you named 'George' anyway?"

She laughed, tucking a dark strand of hair behind her ear. "I get that all the time. It's short for Georgia and I hate my name. So I go by George. It doesn't sound so old fashioned but I get a lot of questions about it."

"I honestly expected to see a guy when Mr. Drew talked about you, maybe even Nancy's boyfriend."

"Now that's a laugh!" George cried out. She looked over at him, an eyebrow arched. "Are you speaking for yourself or just curious?"

"Who me? No, I…Nancy's not my type. At least I don't think she is. I don't really know anything about her and I've only met her once. Is she pretty nice?"

"Yeah," she nodded looking in the distance. "Nancy's a good friend with a kind heart and an old soul. If a friend ever needed help, she was right there every time. You could always count on her. Plus the fact that she could kick your ass if you get on her bad side."

"Sounds like my brother," Joe replied rolling his eyes. "Not the kicking ass part. That's my area of expertise."

"Mm hmm," George gave him a look.

"I'm serious here," he defended. "Frank is more focused on the task at hand, he thinks things through before acting, unlike me. I'm impulsive half the time and Frank is usually the one bailing me out. I honestly feel a little lost without him right now and it's been rough since he went off to college. And I don't think he enjoys it either. I know him. He misses the thrill of our cases together though I doubt he'll admit it."

"You two sound like you're really close," she said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, we are." Joe looked at his hands, not sure of what to do anymore. Frank was his best friend even though Joe harked on his older brother every chance he got, especially about girls. This was the first time that the brothers were separated by force and it scared Joe to death that he might never see him again. Clearing his throat, he rose not wanting George to see the tears that were forming.

"Thanks for the conversation, Joe," she said as he left.

"Anytime, George," he replied though he didn't turn around.

"Um, just in case you were wondering, Nancy's single."

Joe laughed. "I wasn't really wondering for me, but thanks."

Moments later, he settled into bed in the small room he was given. As he closed his eyes, Joe's mind wandered, thinking of his brother; thinking of Nancy. The one thing that brought a smile to his face was that things were going to get very interesting once everything was all over.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well, Governor Wolf closed the schools till the end of the school year today. Not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing but at least my daughter will have stuff to do starting next week. Her teacher is going to teach remotely from now on so that will be interesting to see how it goes. At least the weather is getting nicer and the chance to go outside increases. Too bad we can't go anywhere! Oh well, more writing time for me while she's doing her studies and my little one is napping. I hope that everyone is doing well during this time. We're all doing the best we can. Thanks to everyone who continues to read and to those who leaves reviews! I know that this chapter was a little sappy and probably monotonous (or maybe it's just me, I don't know) but we will return to the action soon. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and if you will, please leave a review so I know your thoughts on it. Have a great weekend and God bless. And if I don't get another chapter out before Sunday, have a wonderful and blessed Easter. He is risen.**


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

An alarm knocked Joe out of bed and onto the floor with a loud thump. Seconds later someone was pounding on the door just before it opened revealing Agent Taylor in a huff.

"Get out of bed, Joe!" he cried. "Let's go! They've spotted a ship nearby and they think it's the pirate schooner!"

"What!" Joe yelled scrambling out of bed. He pulled on his pants and shoes before rushing out of his room almost running down his mother and George. Agent Taylor was already down the hall.

"Sorry, Mom," he said hastily running down the hall. Joe turned around to see the two women as they went down the hall. "You two okay?"

"Yes, we're fine," Laura said annoyed turning him to face the other direction. "And we don't need you running into something and hurting yourself before we need you."

George snickered as she followed the mother and son. "Do you really think it's the pirates?" she asked. "It could be anyone out there."

"I think they're pretty sure, Miss Fayne," announced Taylor poking his head around the corner just in front of them. "It is the _Tempest_ and we're gaining on them."

The three followed the agent onto the bridge to see the crew ready for action. The communications officer was trying to hail the other ship thought it wasn't slowing down.

"_Tempest_, this is the USCGC _Vigilant_," the officer spoke into the headset. "By order of the United States Coast Guard, Border Patrol, and Secret Service you need to stand down and stop your engines. If you do not comply, we will have no choice but to use force."

The people on the bridge waited with abated breath for the ship in front of them to slow down but they were answered with several gun shots coming from the deck of the _Tempest_ though the bullets never reached the _Vigilant_.

"Full speed ahead," Captain Stanton ordered. The cutter soon surged ahead catching up swiftly to the schooner. Agent Taylor got his men and women together on the deck of the _Vigilant_, hiding in the shadows and behind anything they could find, each one them ready for anything from the pirate ship. Joe remained on the bridge with Laura and George watching in awe of the takedown they were about to witness.

"_Tempest_," a voice boomed over a loudspeaker. "This is the USCGC _Vigilant_. Throw down your weapons and prepare to be boarded."

What they received in reply was no surprise. As the cutter slowly came up beside the pirate ship, gunfire erupted from the _Tempest_ once more. Joe ducked down bringing his mother and George down with him just as a barrage of bullets ripped through the bridge, shattering glass everywhere. What the pirates didn't anticipate were the federal agents hiding on the deck so as the group stormed the cutter, Taylor and his agents stepped out, quickly covering the pirates who were boarding.

"Freeze!" Taylor cried aiming his gun at the man who seemed to be leading the pirate crew. "Federal agents!"

Joe popped his head up to see what was going on and made a noise when he saw that the agent was engaging with none other than Jorge.

"What is it, Joe?" Laura asked from below. "What's going on?"

"It's that bastard, Jorge," he answered through gritted teeth. Joe narrowed his eyes, his anger seething through him as he remembered what happened the last time he saw the man. Laura tried to stop him as he ran for the door though she wasn't quick enough. All he could think about was getting to Jorge and finding out about Frank.

Joe snuck onto the forward deck, keeping himself low. Gunshots rang out with bullets hitting all around him. The federal agents were able to subdue some of the pirates though Taylor wasn't as lucky. With being a much larger man, Jorge was able to get the better of the agent and was now holding the man hostage while the other agents aimed their guns at them. Several Coast Guard crew members rushed onto the deck to help with the arrests of the other pirates.

"Stay back!" Jorge ordered, holding Taylor in a tight neck hold. The agent's eyes bulged, his breaths coming slowly as his air circulation was cut off. "Or I'll break his neck!"

The agents watched helplessly as their boss was held tightly. Taylor tried to push back on Jorge but the man was too much even for the seasoned agent.

Joe knew he only had a few moments before Jorge crushed Taylor's throat. He was behind the two men, neither of them knowing he was there. Joe silently stepped up onto the railing and waited for the right moment to strike. Just as Jorge stepped closer to the _Tempest_, Joe jumped down on top of him, knocking the man and his hostage to the ground. Joe grabbed a hold of the larger man and punched him hard in the jaw, knocking him senseless while agents and Coast Guard members swarmed in, taking the last of the pirates into custody.

Agent Taylor coughed loudly then rose with the help of Joe, giving him a weak smile. "Thanks, Joe," he croaked. "I didn't expect that from you."

"All in a day's work," the young Hardy smirked. "Just remember: you owe me."

"Joe!" someone cried. He turned to see his mother and George running up to him. Laura pulled her son into a tight hug before slapping him upside the head. "What have I told you about running off like that! You could have been killed!"

"I know, Mom," he said lightly, rubbing the back of his head. "But it was Jorge and he was going to hurt somebody if I didn't do anything."

Laura sighed. "Oh, I can't be mad at you!" She kissed her son on the cheek. "I'm so proud!"

"Aw, Mom, stop!"

She finally did but only when Jorge laughed as he walked by. He struggled with the agents who held on to him but his eyes were dead set on Joe. "You think you won?" Jorge laughed. "You'll see what's coming!"

Joe tried to go after the man but Taylor held him back. "Where's my brother, you fat, piece of sh.."

"Joseph Hardy!" scolded his mother.

"Listen to your Mommy there, little boy," Jorge taunted. Laura whirled around to face the man and nailed him in the face with a punch, bringing him down to his knees. Crying out, she shook her hand from the pain then looked back at Jorge whose nose was now bleeding, her eyes blazing.

"All right, Mom!" Joe whooped.

"Answer him!" she screamed.

"I'm not telling you anything, lady," he spat. "But when he's done with them, they won't be recognizable. Especially that little brat, Nancy."

"Get him out of here!" yelled Taylor. The agents pulled Jorge up and dragged him away as his laughter still continued.

"What a horrible man!" Laura shivered. She looked at her son who was still staring at the spot Jorge just vacated. "I know Frank and the others will be all right. You'll see when we find them. And if we don't, your father will."

"I wouldn't listen to a word he says anyway," Taylor shook his head. "Last words of a desperate man. He knew he was caught and made the attempt to stop us from continuing our search. Davenport's still out there too. Us catching the _Tempest_ will be a blow to him and we're going to make sure that he knows it."

* * *

The radio crackled but nothing came out. Frank was sitting at the controls trying to hail anybody but he couldn't even reach a ship. Their boat was bobbing in the water after he stopped the engine to save gas. The sun was high above them meaning it was after twelve.

"Anything?" Parked asked hopefully. He sat across from Frank, a small cooler sitting open next to him. Right after he woke up, Parker searched the boat for food and found the cooler hidden underneath one of the seats. There wasn't much inside but it would sustain the three of them for a few days if they rationed.

"Nope," Frank answered defeated. "I've tried every frequency I could but it must be a short-range radio. Maybe a few miles but not much. If there's anyone out there besides Davenport, they're either not answering or not close enough to answer. I just hope that the pirates can't hear us or we're going to be in some trouble."

"Right, like we need any more reminding that they're still out there."

A small noise came from nearby. The two young men looked down at Nancy who was still lying on the floor of the boat, her eyes closed. They both knelt next to her, waiting to see if she awoke. She moved slightly and her eyes rolled open. The blue hue looked from Frank to Parker before she opened her mouth to speak,

"I must have been a really good girl to wake to two handsome guys staring at me," she said softly with a smile. "Where are we?"

"Still in the middle of nowhere," Parker smiled, relieved. "Are you okay?"

"I'm stiff and I'm hungry," she stated. Nancy shifted slightly. "And this floor is not exactly comfortable."

"Here," Frank replied. He scooped her up and with Parker's help, they both moved her to the bench seat. As Nancy settled in, she almost pulled the blanket off but Frank stopped her. "You might not want to do that, Nancy."

"Huh, why? I'm hot," she said confused. He cleared his throat and turned away embarrassed while Parker hid a small smile behind his hand and looked away. Nancy lifted the blanket, her eyes going wide. She clutched the blanket closer to her. "Um, this might prove to be a problem if we have to get off the boat quickly. I can't just sit like this either. Is there anything I can use to cover myself?"

"Well, I'm sorry, I can't help you with that one," Parker replied sympathetically. He looked down at his own clothes that were slightly tattered and dirty. "I've been wearing the same clothes for two weeks so I feel your pain."

Frank was silent, thinking about what to do. "I may have an idea," he said after a few minutes. He pulled off his tie then the button-down shirt he was wearing. He handed the shirt sheepishly to her though Nancy couldn't help but look at him out of the corner of her eye. The a-shirt Frank wore underneath hugged every bit of his athletic torso and toned frame. She blushed as she pulled the shirt over her head while the other two turned away.

"Uh, thank you, Frank," Nancy said clearing her throat. She pulled off the mangled dress out from under the shirt and threw it over the side of the boat before settling back down on the seat. The shirt came to her thighs giving her a little more coverage than the skimpy dress Davenport had given her. She rolled up the sleeves and sighed. "There, that's better. Now I don't feel like that pig has his hands all over me. Now if only I had a brush and a hair tie I'd feel more like myself...ow."

"You okay?" Parker asked.

"Yeah, just shifted the wrong way." Nancy bit her lip as she looked at them nervously. "I…I hope I wasn't too much trouble."

"Why would you be?" he asked. "In all honesty, Frank's the real hero. He's the one who got the bullet out while I just held the flashlight." Parker rummaged through the cooler and pulled out a bottle of soda since there were no bottles of water and a bag of chips before handing it to her. "It's not much but its better than nothing and definitely better than what I got for two weeks."

She laughed taking the food. Nancy eyed Frank who was silent during the exchanged as if he were embarrassed by how he saved her life. She thanked Parker and smiled. So many thoughts went through her head and she looked away from the both of them.

An eerie silence fell upon the three as they all partook of what was inside the cooler. It was several minutes before someone spoke but it wasn't any of them. The static on the radio changed to that of a voice which cut in and out as the person spoke. Frank dropped his bag of chips and quickly grabbed the radio.

"Hello?" he said nervously into the mike. "Is anyone there?"

Parker and Nancy waited anxiously for someone to answer.

"_This…the USC…Do…assistance?"_

"You're cutting up. Please repeat." Frank turned a dial just slightly and waited.

The voice repeated again only this time the radio didn't cut out. _"This is the USCGC Reliance. Do you need assistance?"_

* * *

Davenport stared blankly out at the ocean. They had just received word that the USCGC _Vigilant_ had captured the _Tempest_ and he was angry. Separating to search for the small jet boat had proven to be disastrous and now his second in command was in handcuffs. That girl was going to pay for this if it was the last thing he did. A radio transmission interrupted his thoughts and he turned to the man at the radio.

"What's going on?"

"I think we're near them, Mr. Davenport," smiled the technician. He flipped a switch and the entire bridge could hear the voices talking. Davenport cocked his head listening in though he wasn't understanding it just yet. The technician noticed this and explained. "It's their boat and they're talking to the _Reliance_. They couldn't be more than a few miles from us."

The boss broke into a smile as he listened in on the conversation between Frank and the Coast Guard cutter which couldn't be that far away either. They had to be closer to the tiny boat than the cutter was or they wouldn't be able to get the transmission more clearly than the Coast Guard. Melody sighed as she listened though her attention was on the waves in front of them, a set of binoculars to her eyes. Now that she knew they were close, she was bound and determined to find the boat. The girl suddenly squealed in delight and jumped up and down taking her father's attention away from the radio.

"What? What is it, Darling?" he asked excitedly.

"There!" Melody pointed out into the distance. She handed her father the binoculars and he aimed it to where she was pointing to. He started laughing when he saw the small boat bobbing in the water.

Davenport whirled around to the captain, an evil smile on his face. "Full speed ahead! Catch up to those brats before the Coast Guard gets here!"

The captain nodded and set to work. The surge from the engines gave them momentum and the yacht quickly started to approach the tiny boat in the distance. The radio crackled once more and the bridge heard that the tiny boat had spotted them. Seconds later it took off, speeding away from them as fast as it could go but Davenport knew better. His ship was larger and was going to catch up to his prey long before anyone was able to come to their rescue even though he knew the Coast Guard cutters were not far away.

Davenport stared out the window once more, envisioning the fear that was probably pulsating through the three escapees. He didn't care what happened to the two young men on that boat. He wanted her and to watch the life leave Nancy's beautiful blue eyes as he choked her to death.

"Daddy?" simpered Melody, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Remember, you promised."

"Yes, I did," he smirked, "and you will have it when I'm done."

She pouted, her lower lip quivering. "You're not going to kill him, are you?"

"No, dearest, I'll leave that to you. He won't give you any problems though. I'll make sure of that." Davenport kissed his daughter's forehead then looked at her lovingly. "You will have what you want, Precious. I promise."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Yay! A special Easter gift from me! I didn't think I would be able to get a chapter out but here it is and boy was it fun! This chapter is a little bit shorter than the others but this was the best place to stop. We are closing in on the ending already though. Wow. Thanks to everyone who left a review and to those who continue to read. I appreciate the support! To everyone, my family and I are doing well here in PA. My oldest cried yesterday because she misses school so much. I feel so bad for her and all of the students who are missing school. Plus the fact that I miss the kids I am with day in and day out. We're living in unprecedented times that hasn't been experienced in several generations. And once it's all over, I have a feeling that it will be a while before things return to normal though I really hope not. I'm thankful though for the fact that we live within walking distance of my mom so we do visit her often and when we can. At least the weather has been somewhat nice though a little cold the past few days. I'm looking forward to the warmer weather and some walking time outside. I pray that we all get through this and that things will finally start to settle down here over the course of the next few weeks. Just keep your hopes high and smile a lot. As for the story, I'm so glad to hear that you are all enjoying it. I have to be honest, Melody is a lot of fun to write. Consider her close to the mentality of Veruca Salt, if you know who she is and whichever version you prefer. She's nasty and spoiled which is the type of character I do love to write about. As always, I hope that you enjoyed the latest addition to the story and, if you will, please leave a review so I know that you were here. Until next time, have a wonderful and blessed Resurrection Sunday. He is risen.**


	15. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:**

**I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter. The Easter Bunny ****still ****c****ame to our house and we had our own little egg hunt on our back patio. It was a beautiful day too. Had our ham, which we'll be having for looong time, and enjoyed our time as a family. We missed the rest of our family but we understand the difficulties. Even though my husband and I didn't get dressed up, we had the girls dress up for a short photo shoot. My little one didn't want to cooperate though. She was more fascinated with what was on my phone (what I was taking the pictures with) than being in the actual picture. I did get a really cute one of the two which I'm happy about. Anyway, thank you to everyone who left a review and to those who continue to read. And yes, Drumboy, you are right. I couldn't stick to the 15 chapter plan. Oh, well. I guess it was wishful thinking BUT we are almost done. That I can say! Maybe three chapters left, if that. And yes, there will more than likely be an epilogue to continue into the next story (oooo, what's coming?). As always, I hope that you enjoy the chapter and if you will, please leave a review to tell me what you think of it! Until next time, have a wonderful day and God bless! Stay healthy, my friends.**

* * *

Chapter Fourteen

"They're gaining on us!" Nancy screamed over the engine of the jet boat. She looked behind them to see that Davenport's yacht was inching it's way closer to them by the second. They were now close enough that she could make out the man on the deck of his ship, his face contorted in an evil grin and his eyes dead set on her.

"I'm doing the best I can!" Frank cried, throttling the engine. "This thing is fast but I'm not sure if it can outrun that thing!"

"What's that?" Parker asked pointing to their right. An island suddenly rose into their view and the possibility of help as well.

"I don't care if it's inhabited by cannibals," he yelled, "as long as it's away from them! Hang on!"

Frank jerked the wheel toward the island causing Nancy and Parker to fall over, entangling themselves together on the floor. As the two helped each other up, their boat headed toward the island but it seemed to Nancy that they were slowing down. The boat began to sputter as it continued its journey toward the island.

"Oh, no, no, no! Not now!" Frank yelled looking at the gauges.

"What's wrong?" Nancy asked stumbling forward, her hand on her side as pain ripped through her again.

"We're running out of gas!" he exclaimed. Frank stole a look behind them to see the yacht bearing down on their boat. Something else caught his eye in the distance behind Davenport's ship but he thought it was a trick of the light. He looked back at Nancy who bit her lip nervously. Parker was holding one of the guns Nancy had gotten when they escaped but he seemed like he didn't know what else to do with it. There was only one thing Frank could think of to do but it would require a literal leap of faith for all of them. The island was coming up but he knew they wouldn't make it there before running out of gas completely. "Nancy, you and Parker need to swim to that island! I'll stay here as long as I can to give you a chance to get away."

"No!" Nancy cried. "We all need to go together!"

Parker grabbed her around the waist and shifted her toward the water. "He's right, Nancy!" he yelled. "Frank will be fine and he can steer as far as it will go. Maybe we'll get lucky and the island has radio or something."

"I'm not leaving!" she struggled with him. The boat sputtered again, losing speed though the island was within swimming distance, its beach beckoning them.

"Parker!" ordered Frank. "Get her in the water! Go!"

"Sorry, Beautiful," Parker said apologetically, "but you heard the man."

He picked Nancy up and threw her into the churning water, her scream cut short as she hit the surface, then turned back to Frank. "Good luck!" he cried just before jumping in the water.

The moment Nancy hit the water she scrambled to swim to the surface for air. She was angry that Parker threw her into the ocean but even more angry at Frank for continuing on, forcing her to leave him. As she finally broke the surface, Nancy took in a gasping breath then searched for Parker and Frank. She saw the boat heading away with the yacht chasing behind it but Parker was nowhere to be seen. Nearly giving up hope, Nancy saw the island again and began swimming towards it.

After a while of swimming, she was struggling to move as her bullet wound throbbing in earnest. Nancy could see the beach but her vision started to blur and her head dipped under the waves, water entering her mouth. Just before she went under completely, she felt someone pull her head over the water and hold on to her as they swam the rest of the way to the beach. Once she felt dry land beneath her, she heard her name being called from a distance.

"Nancy! Can you hear me?" asked a familiar voice. She slowly opened her eyes to see Parker hunched over her, his face full of concern.

Suddenly Nancy felt the urge to throw up and water spewed out of her mouth. Parker turned her on her side, keeping his hand on her back as the retched out ocean water. Coughing hard, her chest hurting, Nancy laid on her side for a few minutes before she moved again.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I…I think so," Nancy answered, her voice hoarse.

"Can you walk?" Parker inquired nervously. He looked out at sea then back to her. Nancy nodded though she was exhausted. "Good because we gotta go. There's a boat heading this way and it's not Frank."

"Frank! Where is he? Did he make it?" She tried to get up but cried out in pain. She held her side and when she looked at her hand, there was blood. Her stitches had opened up. Parker saw this and gently helped her up then quickly guided her off the beach.

"I don't know where he is right now," Parker replied grimly. "The boat went around the side of the island. We need to think about ourselves at the moment and go find a place to hide until help arrives."

Nancy stopped and looked over her shoulder, her eyes going wide with fear. A boat was heading their way and it definitely wasn't Frank nor was it help. She could see Davenport sitting at the head of the boat, his eyes on her.

"Come on, Nancy!" Parker urged, grabbing her hand. Though her body protested, she complied and followed him into the island's mass of jungle. She just prayed that there was nothing else that preyed upon them other than Davenport.

* * *

The _Reliance_ sailed as quickly as it could toward the ship in front of them. Fenton and Carson stood side by side watching and waiting for word on their kids. They knew that the _Vigilant_ had caught the _Tempest_ hours before but they had no idea where the cutter was located, only that it was moving towards them to intercept Davenport's yacht.

Frank was the reason how they knew it was the pirate boss' ship in front of them. When Fenton heard his son's voice on the radio, he heaved a sigh of relief, thankful that Frank was alive. After hearing of Jorge's sinister words to Joe and Laura, he had nearly given up hope. Knowing that both Nancy and Parker Hawkley were with Frank made not only his day but Carson's as well. The two fathers wanted nothing more than to whisk their kids out of harm's way. With the search and rescue helicopter and the _Vigilant_ on their way, they thought that someone would reach the tiny boat before Davenport did but their hopes seemed dashed as a plume of black smoke reached into the sky not far from the island they were heading toward.

"Oh, God, I hope they got off that boat in time," mumbled Carson. Fenton nodded silently. The two looked over at Captain Matthews who saw the smoke as well. "Are we going to make it?"

The captain quickly nodded. "The _Reliance_ is one of the fastest ships we have. We'll make it. That yacht is already slowing down which might mean that they're going to lower boats. We have a break here and I intend to fully use it."

Sure enough, Davenport's yacht came to a complete stop and seconds later the Coast Guard lookout announced that there were two boats in the water heading toward the island.

"One is headed towards a clearing near the smoke and the other is coming around to the beach," the man replied. "I see two people on the beach before the boat departed the yacht. Looks like they swam to shore from the smaller boat that crashed."

"Two?" Fenton cried. "Where's the third?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Hardy," Captain Matthews reassured him. "We'll find them all." He turned toward the communications officer. "Notify the _Vigilant_ and have them go after the boat that went to the clearing. We'll take the beach."

"And we're coming with you," announced Carson following Matthews. The captain turned to argue but stopped when he saw the determined faces of the two fathers. He nodded defeated.

"Do either of you have a gun or know how to use one?"

"No, we don't have any but we can help if you let us," Fenton answered. "And I'm sure Carson is proficient in firing a weapon. At least he was the last time we were together."

"Yes, I'm good but not great," Carson replied. "Nancy was always a better shot than I was."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she takes after Kate in more ways than one," the lawyer shrugged. "After she started showing interest in solving other people's problems, I enrolled her in self-defense courses along with learning to shoot a gun."

"Sounds like you have one helluva kid there, Mr. Drew," smirked Matthews. "I'd be interest to hear how those three were able to escape the way they did."

"You and me both," Fenton said looking at Carson with a newfound respect. Even though the man lost his wife violently, it didn't stop him from making sure his daughter could protect herself as she entered the dangerous world. It made Fenton rethink his own reluctance in allowing his sons to fight crime with him.

"Well, then, let's get moving," the captain boomed interrupting Fenton's thoughts. "I fear we don't have much time left."

Ten minutes later, several small boats launched from the _Reliance_ while the cutter continued toward the yacht. Fenton and Carson were on the boat heading towards the island, their only thoughts on their kids.

* * *

The _Vigilant_ arrived at the island fifteen minutes after the _Reliance_ launched their boats. They knew they had little time to spare and immediately sent out their own set of boats while the _Vigilant_ continued on to help take Davenport's yacht.

Laura, Joe, and George insisted on going with Taylor's team to the island with the agent obliging without protest. He figured that if the Hardys could handle a man like Jorge they could handle anything. And George wasn't going to sit back and let them go out without her so she was allowed to come along as well. The three would remain with Taylor and the small contingent of agents once they reached the island. The remainder of the Secret Service agents would stay on board to help the _Reliance_.

As the group approached the area where the other boat was, they noticed it was unattended. Taylor ordered two of his agents to stay with the boast just in case whoever else was there returned. He, Joe, Laura, George, and three agents went into the jungle before them, uncertain of what they would find.

Animal noises echoed around them as the group moved inward. At every snap or sound, Joe's head would swivel toward it only to find nothing there. He wondered how the animals got onto an uninhabited island but didn't open his mouth to question. In fact, no one said anything, keeping their eyes and ears open to the slightest sound or movement.

Suddenly Taylor stopped, his hand a fist in the air. A rustling of trees and brush was heard as if someone was running but it stopped the moment a voice echoed around the group.

"I know you're out here, Frank!" yelled a female voice. Joe and George looked at one another in alarm, both of them knowing the voice well. Laura gave her son a look and he mouthed "Melody." "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

The group stood stock still, waiting to see what happened next, looking into the shadows around them. A louder rustling came to their ears and Taylor motioned for everyone to find a place to hide. Just as each person slipped into the shadows, Melody and four large men ran into the path Joe's group just vacated. Joe, Laura, and George watched from behind a brush together as the four conversed in front of them.

"Why'd you stop?" asked the largest of the men. He had a thick accent similar to Jorge's, Joe noted.

"I thought I saw something," Melody replied looking around. "I know he's around here somewhere. He couldn't have gotten that far before we landed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" she snapped startling Joe. It was a side that he never saw before in the girl. Melody stepped closer to where he and the others were hiding but stopped when a scream erupted from a distance, echoing around them. The girl laughed, throwing her head back and stepping away from the bush. "Sounds like Daddy's found his prey."

Suddenly someone took off running nearby, heading in the direction of the scream. Joe tried to see who it was but only saw a blur.

"You two stay here in case he doubles back," Melody ordered pointing to two of the men. She turned to the larger one. "Dante, fetch."

The man took off running and Melody and one other man followed behind leaving the two other men. Moments later, Taylor and his agents took the two into custody without firing a weapon.

"Did you hear all that?" Taylor asked once Joe, Laura, and George stepped out of the bush. The other agents were zip-tying the two men who were left behind.

"Yeah," Joe nodded. "We have to go! I'm sure that was Frank who just ran out of here! If only we had known."

"And more than likely we would've had a fight," the agent pointed out. He turned to the three agents standing over their catch. "You three take these two back to the _Vigilant_ but make sure one of you stays in that clearing. We don't need anyone escaping without our knowledge."

The agents nodded then escorted their prisoners back the way they'd come as Taylor inspected his gun. When he was ready, he quickly led the way into the jungle heading in the direction Melody and Dante went. The four of them had no clue as to where to go except for the path that they followed. Several plants were still moving and others had broken limbs as the group moved forward.

"Arghh!" the girl yelled in frustration. "Where are you?"

Joe snickered silently, hearing her stomp her feet just ahead of them. Taylor motioned for the others to kneel as he crept forward to see. Joe followed behind him while his mother and George stayed back.

"You know you have no place else to go, Frank!" Melody cried out. "Just come on out. I'll make sure Daddy doesn't hurt you! He promised not to!"

Joe cringed at what he was hearing. The girl had a serious obsession with Frank which could prove to be dangerous in the end. There was something creepy about it in Joe's mind. Suddenly he had an urge to sneeze and though he tried to stop it, Joe sneezed loudly, echoing in the jungle. Taylor gave him a look just before a shadow fell across their hiding spot.

"You can come out now," Melody said softly. Two large hands reached into their hiding place and grabbed a hold of Joe before Taylor could stop it. Dante held him, his arms pinned to his sides. "Well, this is a surprise," she smiled.

"I'm full of surprises," he said through gritted teeth as he struggled with Dante.

"Drop him!" Taylor yelled, coming out from the bush. He aimed his gun at Dante.

"Wow," Melody replied confused. "Full of surprises." She looked behind the agent. "But so am I."

"Jim, look out!" cried Laura from her hiding place but it was too late. A man stepped out from behind Taylor and brought a branch down on top of the agent's hand, knocking the gun out. Melody picked it up and aimed it at Joe while the agent was subdued and Laura and George were brought out as well. The four were lined up in front of Melody who studied them intently, waving the gun in their faces.

"Now, this is interesting," she stated, walking in front of them. "How is it that you are here? You know what, I don't care. You're going to help me get what I want so we're going to play a little game."

"Man, you are sick," Joe spat.

"You're first, Joe," Melody smiled pointing to him. Dante picked him up and moved him forward before having him kneel in front of her. "You wouldn't happen to know where Frank is, would you?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Because you're his brother and if you don't tell me, I'm just going to kill you and move on," she shrugged. She aimed the gun at him and cocked the hammer back. "Where is he?'

"I don't know," he shrugged. "We were following you."

"You're lying."

"Believe what you want," Joe laughed, "but I'm telling the truth. I'm not my brother's keeper."

Melody looked at Dante and smiled sweetly. The man took aim at Joe and punched him in the face. Laura cried out as Taylor flinched. Melody cocked her head at Laura and studied the woman before looking at Joe again. "Oh, this is good!" she cried, clapping her hands. Melody stepped toward Laura, with a smile. "You must be Mommy. Right? I'm so honored to meet you!"

Laura said nothing as she glared at the girl. Melody laughed then searched the trees around them. The only sounds they heard were of birds chirping above.

"Frank! You need to come here before I kill your family!" she cried. "We are supposed to be together!"

Laura looked at the girl in sympathy, her earlier anger at her gone. "Are you really that lonely, dear?" she asked softly.

Melody whirled around on her and pouted. "No," she said quickly. "I have…friends…and Daddy."

"Then why would you need to be with Frank?"

"Because…because…Daddy promised me!" the girl cried out, pointing the gun at Laura. "You wouldn't understand."

"I'm trying to," the woman said honestly, "especially if you want to take my son away from his family just to be with you. Doesn't your father give you love other than physical things? Is that what this is about?"

"No! You're trying to fool me! I know what love is and that's what I have for Frank." She searched the trees again. "You hear me, Frank? Come out here before I put a bullet in your mother's head!"

Melody aimed the gun at Laura though the woman didn't flinch. She looked sympathetically at the girl, tears flowing down her face. Melody's hand wavered slightly though the gun was still trained on Laura. Taylor and George held their breath, waiting for the shot to ring out. Joe watched helplessly from a distance, knowing he'd never make it if he tried.

The silence was heavy as if the world seemed to stop moving. The group watched the shadows around them, waiting for anything to pop out at them. Then another sound interrupted the silence and sense of relief came over the captives. Frank jumped from the tree above them, landing on both Dante and the other goon who were standing next to each other. The three men went down in a heap and Joe and Taylor stepped in to help. Melody jumped, her finger pulling at the trigger but nothing happened. Laura closed her eyes and let out the breath she was holding. Melody had forgotten to take the safety off before aiming.

"Nice of you to join us, big brother," Joe smiled at Frank as Dante and the goon stopped struggling. "Could you have possibly waited any longer?"

"You know me, Joe," he laughed. "I like to make an entrance."


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Parker led Nancy through the trees trying to get away from Davenport. They knew the man was somewhere nearby. As the two ran, Parker could feel her stumble but it impressed him that she remained steadfast in getting away. They stopped and looked around wondering where to go next. Nancy was sweating, her breaths coming in spurts as she tried to hold back the pain in her side. The more she ran, the more blood she lost and she knew she was leaving a trail for Davenport to find. Even Parker's makeshift bandage wasn't working. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping her going though for how much longer she didn't know.

"Why…are we stopping?" Nancy asked heaving. They had gone only a few feet from their last stop but Parker stopped and looked around again. She stumbled a little bit but he held on to her so she wouldn't collapse.

"That's why," he stated firmly. "We need to find a place to hide."

"No," she shook her head, "just…go. I got…us into this mess. You don't need to…suffer with me."

"First of all, you didn't do anything to get us into this," Parker assured her. "We're alive because of you. And second, there's no way on this green Earth that I'm going to leave you to that mad man. You're too nice to give up on…and too pretty to leave behind."

Nancy stared blankly at him, shocked to hear anyone say something like that to her. For years she had never really thought of dating even though her best friend, Bess, always tried to hook her up. But now, this man sounded as if he cared a lot about her even though they'd just met. But there was also Frank…Nancy cleared her throat then shook off the crazy thoughts rambling through her head.

"Um, thank…you, Parker," she stated, "but…I can make it."

Her legs gave way and he caught her before she fell to the ground. "You were saying?" he smirked. "There's got to be someplace you can hide."

"Me? What…about you?"

"I'll draw them away while you take a breather," he kindly smiled. "Just promise me one thing: If we make it through this alive, let me take you to dinner."

"Really?" she laughed. "You're….asking me out? Now?"

"Just…think about it, okay?"

Their conversation stopped as they heard several voices nearby and the two ducked down to get out of sight. Parker noticed a small nook inside a bush and he motioned for Nancy to follow. The bush was hollow with just enough room for the two of them to hide while no one outside it could see in. They were just in time too for the moment they slipped into the bush, they heard footsteps approaching the area.

"Damn it!" yelled Davenport. He looked around him. "Where the hell did they go? I could have sworn I saw them here!"

"They could be anywhere, sir," replied another man.

"I know that, you dolt!" he cried, whacking the man in the head with a loud smack. "But the blood trail led us here. She's got to be bleeding out. They're here somewhere! Spread out and find them. NOW!"

Parker held his finger to his lips as they waited for the area to clear. After a few minutes, there was no more sound and he looked at Nancy as she tried to stay awake.

"Rest here, Nancy," he whispered. "I'll be back for you and hopefully with help."

"Okay," she said slowly, her voice tired. Nancy shivered in the shirt she wore and Parker wished he could stay with her but he wanted to lead Davenport and his men away from her.

Without thinking, he leaned in and planted a kiss on her lips, surprising her the same way he did on the deck of Davenport's house two weeks before. Only this time, she kissed back. Seconds later, he was gone leaving her with mixed feelings.

As she sat there alone, Nancy closed her eyes, though her mind wouldn't let her sleep right away. She thought of Parker and the kiss. Although her first impression of him wasn't exactly nice, the man was actually very charming and sweet. Then her mind wandered to Frank. He was the one whom she thought of for years without really knowing it. He was sweet and determined and seemed to be the same type of person she was with nearly the exact same thought processes. Her heart was torn between the two but it wasn't exactly the best time for her to pine over guys.

After a few minutes of sitting in the nook of the bush, Nancy finally fell asleep though it only lasted a few minutes. A twig snapped nearby and she shifted too quickly, making a sound. Her heart pounded in her chest, waiting for whoever it was to move away. Or maybe it was someone there to help. In the next moment, she knew that was not the case.

"Gotcha!" a voice cried out. Someone burst through the bush and grabbed her by the ankle, yanking her out as she screamed in terror. Nancy tried to hold on to something but her energy was failing her. She was lifted into the air and brought face to face with the one person whom she was trying to avoid, her eyes going wide with fear.

"Hello, Nancy," Davenport sneered holding her close. "I'm so glad to see that you're alone because you and I are going to have a nice little chat."

* * *

Melody looked down at the gun, wondering why it didn't fire. Seconds later, she was on the ground the gun feet away and George pinning her down. The girl struggled, trying to get the larger girl off her but eventually stopped when she realized her defeat, her body going slack. Tears formed in her eyes as she watched Frank and Joe helping Agent Taylor zip-tie Dante and the goon, neither brother looking at her.

"Where'd you come from?" the agent asked breathlessly, looking at Frank. "You could have at least told us you were here."

"And what fun would that be?" Frank laughed and shook his head. "I was trying to avoid them and didn't even know you were even here until you sneezed, Joe. I didn't have much time anyway after they wrecked the boat and I swam as fast as I could to get to shore. When I got here, it was only a matter of minutes before they landed. I didn't see where Davenport went though I'm sure he went after Parker and Nancy." He abruptly stopped and looked in the direction he was headed earlier. He scrambled up and began walking away quickly. "Oh, no. We have to go. Now."

"Wait! Stop!" cried Laura as he rushed past her. "Where are you going?"

"Mom, we have to go," he repeated though he didn't stop. "That scream had to have come from Nancy. Davenport is hell bent on getting to her because she pissed him off."

Melody laughed and the Hardys stopped to look at her. She smirked. "Yeah, Daddy's going to have fun with her. What I wouldn't give to see what happens. I can help you guys, if you want. I just ask for one thing."

"No!" all three Hardys replied at the same time before turning away from her.

"And how exactly did Nancy piss this guy off?" Joe mumbled, turning away from the crazy girl.

"I don't know," his brother shrugged. "I wasn't aware of anything at the time but what I do know is that if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be standing here right now. We'd be still on that yacht or worse."

Frank was about to move again when a rustling sound stopped him. The group looked around but blew a collective sigh of relief when they saw several men and women step out of the trees dressed in Coast Guard uniforms. Captain Matthews led the way but stopped, staring dumbfounded at them.

"How did…never mind," he shook his head. "This has been a day." The captain rubbed his forehead then glanced at Frank then to Melody and the two men sitting on the ground. "You guys have been busy. Good to see you're all right, Mr. Hardy."

Laura looked expectantly around then up at the captain. "Where's Fenton?"

"He ran off after we all heard that scream," Matthews stated grimly. "Mr. Drew as well. We were preoccupied with arresting a group of pirates who just happened upon us. I think they were searching for someone or something but they aren't talking as to what or who it was. We haven't seen anyone else since until we found you."

A loud cry of frustration permeated the air, the group stopping all conversation and stared in the direction it came from. Melody snickered while Frank took off running with Joe and Taylor at his heels. The three tore through the trees not caring about making a lot of noise. As Joe ran behind his brother, he searched the area for anything that might lead them to the shouts that were now coming to his ears. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye but it was too late for Frank. Someone ran right into him and the two stumbled to the ground causing Joe and Taylor to come to a complete stop. Laura, George, and Captain Matthews rushed up to them, stopping just before crashing into the two men.

"Parker, did you have to run right into me?" groaned Frank rolling over. He helped the other man up though his face went dark. "Why aren't you with Nancy?"

"I left her in a bush to rest," Parker said out of breath. "I was trying to lure Davenport away but it only worked on his men."

"That's the group we ran into," Captain Matthews stated. "They were looking for you!"

Parker nodded, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "Davenport must have gone back to where I left her. When I heard her scream, I started heading back but I'm just able to get here because I had to stop to find my way. This place is too confusing."

Joe took in the stubble of a beard and dirty clothes he wore but Joe could tell it was the young man they were searching for. "So, you're Parker Hawkley?" he asked. Parker nodded with a smirk.

"But why'd you leave Nancy?" Frank asked concerned.

"I didn't have a choice," Parker answered. "She was bleeding out and couldn't keep up. The stitches must have broken when she swam to shore. If I hadn't left her, I would have been carrying dead weight and we both would have been caught. I'm sorry. It was the only thing I could think of to do but I didn't know he was going to come back!"

"It's okay," Laura smiled placing a hand on the man's arm. "We would have done…"

She stopped the moment two gunshots rang out, echoing in the air.

* * *

Fenton ran through the trees hoping that he was going in the right direction. When he heard the woman scream, he exchanged glances with Carson then took off running, leaving the Coast Guard to deal with the pirates they caught. He didn't know if his old friend was keeping up but he knew there was only one woman it have been who screamed and he was determined to get to her.

Stopping for a brief moment to catch his breath and his bearings, Fenton strained his ears to listen for any sounds or movement. No one was around him, not even Carson but then he heard someone talking in a low tone not far from him and he slowly crept forward to see what was going on. Fenton pulled out his gun, ready to use it if need be. Even though he could still hear the voices, he couldn't figure out where they were coming from. It was several minutes before he heard a loud smack and a man roared in anger. A rustling sound indicated that someone ran off though rather slow in escape.

"Get back here, you little shit!" yelled an angry man. Fenton could hear the man tearing after whoever ran away from him and stood up to see where he went. Seeing a bush moving, he ran towards it.

"Fenton!" cried Carson though he kept his voice low. He was behind him but Fenton didn't stop. Nancy was in trouble and he wasn't going to stop until that person was safe.

Suddenly he heard the sounds of two people fighting, the trees and bushes rustling as they fought.

"You know, Nancy," a man replied angrily. He grunted and a loud thud came. "You're really starting to PISS ME OFF!"

"Oh…really?" a woman gasped. "I thought I already did that!"

Fenton laughed inwardly. She sounded exactly like her mother did, spunk and all. He figured the man she was talking to was Davenport and he inched his way forward but stopped when he heard Nancy cry out in pain. Fenton stood up, not caring about being seen and watched the scene unfold before him. A girl of about 20 leaned against a tree, her breathing labored and her strawberry blonde hair in tangles. She wore only a dirty, white button-down shirt that looked far too big for her and her legs and feet were bare. Fenton grew angry when he saw her bruised face but was alarmed at the sight of blood running down her bare leg. Nancy was running out of time and energy. For a second, he thought she was Kate Drew and images of that fateful night came rushing back to him.

Nancy must have seen him for her eyes looked right at him and went wide in shock. Davenport whirled around, surprised to see Fenton. The man cocked his head as he studied him then broke into a smile.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" he replied. Davenport stepped toward him but stopped as Fenton raised his gun. "You must be Fenton Hardy. Your son seemed nice though I wouldn't bet on it right now." He laughed when Fenton's face went white. "You can't shoot an unarmed man, Mr. Hardy. And you know you're not going to save her from me, just like her mother."

Fenton stood still, his mouth slightly open in surprise. How the pirate boss knew about it was beyond him and he wavered for a brief moment when self-doubt came into his mind. Davenport took advantage of the situation and picked up a large branch, wielding it like a bat. As Fenton stared at the ground, he didn't see the hit until it came just after Nancy cried out to him. He went down hard, dazed and the gun fell away. Fenton could feel warmth on the side of his face as he tried to get up. Davenport turned his attention back to Nancy, ignoring him.

"Believe me," he replied sinisterly, raising the branch once more, "you're not going to feel a thing, Sweetheart."

Fenton looked up in time to see Davenport swing back, ready to bring down the branch on Nancy. He saw the gun sitting a few feet away and scrambled for it. Thoughts ran through his mind but one thing was for sure: he may have let Kate down but he wasn't going to do that to her daughter. Just as Davenport started moving, Fenton raised his gun and shot the man twice in the back.

Nancy had an arm protectively in front of her face, ready for the onslaught that Davenport was about to issue on her but lowered it seconds after the shots rang out. The man still stood before her, the branch still held like a club but his face was contorted in pain and shock. The branch fell like a brick to the ground and the man reached out to her before collapsing to the ground. Nancy held on to the tree for dear life, her mouth open in shock.

"Nancy!" Carson cried as he burst into the clearing behind Fenton. She looked up and sighed though she didn't move as he rushed to her. Once her father took her in his arms, Nancy's legs finally gave out and the two fell to their knees. "Oh, thank God you're okay, Baby!"

There was a rustling in the trees and seconds later, Frank and Parker burst in with the rest of their group coming in behind them. They all stared at the ground where Davenport lay, knowing that the nightmare was finally over.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Well, I think this might be the penultimate chapter. Not sure until the next one is written but that's what I'm thinking. I know this one is not as long as my usual chapters but it has its purpose. But then there will be an epilogue as well. So, in essence, we're pretty much done with this one. Just need to do some finally wrapping up before we move on to the next story (**_**All's Faire in Love and War**_** and no, I did not spell it wrong, hint hint). I'm looking forward to it too. I've also done some thinking about the rest of the stories. I'm thinking that there will be at least six more in this series which will be the largest grouping I've done so far. We will see where it all goes from here. Thanks to everyone who has continued to support this story (and me!) by reading and a special thanks to those who have left reviews. Love you guys! I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Until next time, have a great day and God bless! Stay healthy and positive, my friends!**


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Two hours later, Carson sat quietly in the waiting room, elbows on his knees. It was an agonizing wait since the moment Nancy collapsed in his arms. Her face was so pale from the loss of blood and he cried out for help when she became unresponsive.

The flight back to the Coast Guard base was just as bad but Carson thanked God that the search and rescue helicopter arrived when it did. Unfortunately it meant flying with Davenport who although had been shot twice in the back, the man was still alive but barely. Parker came with them as well to make sure he was okay after two weeks of malnutrition while Frank chose to stay with his family citing that he was fine. The bumps and bruises he had were nothing according to him.

While en route to the base, Carson listened as Parker retold the whole story as to what happened from the moment he was kidnapped to when Nancy took the gun from Davenport and escaped. The lawyer was impressed at the young man's resilience in tough times though he already knew Parker from his time with Senator Hawkley. What Carson didn't know was that Frank had gotten the bullet out and stitched nancy up while on a boat in the middle of the ocean. He made a mental note to confront him in order to thank the young man for saving his daughter's life.

The Hardys along with George were returning on the _Reliance_ and wouldn't arrive until well into the evening. So Carson sat alone, waiting anxiously for any news, good or bad.

"Mr. Drew?"

Carson looked up to see Parker standing in front of him looking clean shaven and showered. "Parker, glad to see you're okay," he smiled. "I'm surprised though to see that they didn't admit you for observation."

"Meh," the young man shrugged, "the doc thought I was fine considering. She thought all I needed was a shower and a good meal. Who knew that she would be right? Any news on Nancy?"

"No, but I'm sure she's fine," the man sighed. "Thank you again for telling me what happened. I'm sure you know that you're probably going to have to do it all over again when the time comes."

"I know but I'll do anything necessary to but that bastard Davenport away for good. And his daughter too if I can."

"Did…did Nancy really do all those things you said?"

"Absolutely," Parker laughed. "I was actually a little intimidated by her for being so forceful but I guess it's because she's related to you."

Carson laughed and shook his head. "You really know how to flatter somebody, don't you? The only thing is that she doesn't get that bad assery from me. That was her mother's doing."

"I think I might have liked your wife, Mr. Drew."

"I'm sure you would have," the lawyer smiled. "There weren't a lot of people who didn't besides criminals. Have you called your parents yet? The last time I spoke with your mother, she was chomping at the bit and about to take the first flight here."

"No, but I guess I should, huh?"

"Yeah, I think that would be a good idea," Carson nodded. "Go call your parents then find a pace to rest. You look like you need it. I'll let you know if anything changes with Nancy."

"Okay, Mr. Drew," Parker said. He turned to leave but stopped. "You'll tell me the moment you hear something."

"Go on, get out of here," he laughed, pushing him away.

The moment he was along, Carson's smile dissipated. He remembered all those years before waiting for news on Kate only to find out the worst had happened. Now he waited for news on his daughter and he was terrified that he would receive similar news.

Carson looked up when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. A female doctor was walking toward him, her expression blank but somber. He rose slowly as she approached and held his breath in fear of bad news.

"Mr. Drew?" the woman replied in a pleasant but professional voice. "I'm Dr. Jasmine Sand."

He took her outstretched hand and shook it before saying anything. "How is she?"

"Your daughter is a very strong young woman," Dr. Sand smiled. "I'm surprised she was able to last as long as she did. She lost an incredible amount of blood yet still held up to a man twice her size. We are currently trying to replenish the blood loss but unfortunately we had to put her in a medically induced coma because of blood poisoning caused by the gunshot wound. We have to take it one day at a time for now but we will keep monitoring the infection and sepsis. She's lucky though. If someone hadn't gotten to her when they did, we might not have been able to save her."

Carson gulped hard, thoughts running through his mind. It was good news and bad news at the same time. "So she'll be okay eventually?" he finally asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes," she nodded. "Give us a few days and we'll revisit waking her up. I suspect she'll be up quickly though considering how she fought to stay alive. Don't worry. I'm very optimistic. Is there anything you need that I can help you with?"

"What?" he said distractedly. "Oh, no. No, I'm good. Can I see her?"

"Of course," Dr. Sand smiled and led him down the hall. "Stay as long as you like."

Just before he opened the door, he stopped the doctor. "What…what happened to Martin Davenport? Is he still alive?"

Dr. Sand sighed deeply, looking grim. "Yes, he's still alive," she stated. "My colleagues are still working on him as of now. There's not much more to say at this point but if you would like, I can keep you updated on his progress or lack thereof."

"I'd appreciate that, Dr. Sand. And thank you."

The doctor smiled then took her leave. Carson was silent as he stood outside the hospital room. He didn't expect to hear that the man who terrorized people for a living and almost killed Nancy was still alive. Carson's thoughts shifted to Fenton and how he would react. He knew his old friend was upset that he had to use force to save Nancy but he wasn't sure how Fenton would take the news that Davenport's life hung in the balance.

Quietly saying a prayer, Carson stepped into the room where Nancy was. The room was dark save for a light over the bed that seemed to give her a halo as she slept. Monitors beeped though thankfully no machine was sustaining her life. She was doing that on her own. He moved a chair next to the bed and sat down next to her, taking her hand. She slept peacefully, the drugs flowing through her to not only heal but to keep her asleep.

As he sat next to her, Carson shed a few tears. It was from years of frustration and anger but he had to let it go once more. Although it seemed he had forgiven Fenton for what happened to Kate, up until that moment, he still had some reservations on the former NYPD detective. But since both Fenton and Frank have saved Nancy's life over the course of two days, Carson was now indebted to the Hardy family. He knew he was wrong to be angry for sixteen years and he was ready to truly make amends to his former friend, rekindling the bonds of friendship that they held so dear years before.

* * *

"So are you going to ask her out when we get there?" Joe asked Frank. The two brothers stood side-by-side on the deck of the _Reliance_ staring out into the ocean around them. They could see the lights from the Coast Guard base though they were still at least a half hour from docking. George was next to them though she was trying to stay out of the private conversation.

"Really?" his brother asked annoyed. "Do you have to butt in on my business all the time?"

"Yeah, it's my job," he smirked. "Is that a 'yes?'"

George laughed and rolled her eyes. "I see that being around you two is going to be entertaining. Are you always like this?"

"Naturally," Joe shrugged. "I'm the 'little' brother so I am supposed to annoy the hell out of Frank. I just want him to be happy, is that so bad? Besides, I think there might be some competition so if he doesn't act fast, he's going to miss his chance."

"Man, am I invisible or something?" Frank muttered. "I am right here, you know."

"So you are listening," his brother gloated. Frank gave him a look. "I'm just saying that if you don't act now, you'll regret it later."

"Like you should talk."

"Hey, I know you, Frank," Joe pointed out. "You will hole up in your dorm room and either forget about her or you'll pine over her like Melody is going to pine over you."

"Please don't bring that up," Frank mumbled, blushing. "I'm going to be having nightmares about that girl for years."

"So make sure you do something about Nancy!" his brother cried. "It might take your mind off of…that."

"You do realize that there's another person in this conversation," George butted in. "Nancy is not someone who will let things go, Frank. I remember her telling me a story about an event that happened years ago. It's one of her first memories that she has never forgotten. You might want to ask her about it because it's not my place to say what it is. Just remember though that she has a heart too and she's kept it close for a long time. Don't break it."

"See?" Joe said excitedly. "Even George says to go for it!"

"Joe, leave it alone," Frank stated.

"You gave her the shirt off your back. Doesn't that mean something?"

"No, you didn't see what she was wearing before, Joe," he replied. "It was way too skimpy for my taste."

"And that bothers you?"

"Well, yeah," Frank shrugged. "She's completely not type anyway."

"Uh huh." Joe eyed his brother. He could tell that Frank was lying to save face but Joe wondered why. Unless Frank had it worse than he thought.

"Hey, are you three ready?" The trio turned to see Fenton and Laura coming toward them. "We'll be docking soon and I want to get off as soon as we can," Fenton replied.

"Have we heard anything yet from Mr. Drew?" George asked concerned.

"Only that he'll meet us for breakfast in the morning," he answered. "He said he'll give updates then when he knows a little bit more."

"What are we supposed to do until then?"

"I don't know about you guys," Frank replied, "but I really need a shower. And I'm hungry."

"Hey, that's my line!" Joe pouted.

"Well, am I now allowed to use it?" he defended. "I am hungry and only had a soda and a bag of chips since yesterday. You try being stuck on a small boat with only that to eat for hours on end and see how you fare."

"Okay…you got me there but I do agree! I'm hungry too!"

"Surprise, surprise," Frank rolled his eyes.

"Would you like to join us, George?" Laura asked politely.

"Uh, sure," she answered. "It's been a long day and I'm hungry too."

A half hour later, the Hardys and George were sitting in a small restaurant just outside the Coast Guard base having a late dinner. The mood was cheerful though there was a sense of foreboding in the air. None felt it more than Fenton who was picking at his food.

"What's wrong, dear?" Laura asked, placing a hand on his arm.

"It's just that…Carson said he wanted to talk tonight," he replied. "Just him and me."

"I wouldn't worry about it," she said softly. She looked over at their sons and George who though they were eating, she could tell that they were listening in. "I'm sure what he has to say is far different than what you're thinking it is."

"Mr. Drew really isn't all that bad," George interrupted. "He may be a tough-as-nails lawyer but he can always see the good in people. That's what makes him such an honest person. After being around you for the past few days, even I see that."

"Thanks, George," nodded Fenton, "but Carson and I haven't been on good terms in a long time. Even with us having our earlier conversation yesterday, he's still angry with me over Kate."

"Dad, what really happened to her?" Frank inquired cautiously.

His father sighed and looked down at the table. "I don't really want to get into it right at the moment," Fenton replied. "All I will say is that we had a case together. Kate was shot but she didn't go down. When we were chasing several bad guys, she went followed them and then…there was an explosion. Jim and I tried to go after her, tried to stop her but we were knocked out by the blast then woke up in the hospital a day later. Kate was dead, her body never found. They believed it was eviscerated the moment of explosion. I have lived with that guilt for sixteen years and I never get over seeing the last time I saw her."

"But, Dad," Joe piped in, "that's not a reason to be guilty. You did what you could to save her."

"Thanks, Joe," Fenton smiled, "for trying to cheer me up. Coming from you, it really means something. Carson made it clear years ago that it was my fault…just like it would have been my fault if Nancy had died. Davenport got under my skin and I hesitated."

The group grew silent, their food getting cold. Fenton put his napkin on the table and rose from his seat. "You guys go on to the hotel," he stated. "I'll see you all in the morning."

With that he left the restaurant though he paid on the way out. The others finished their meals and left silently, none of them really daring to say anything.

After a shower and change of clothes, Frank lay in bed staring at the ceiling. Joe was already asleep by the time he got settled, his snores echoing in the room. The older brother closed his eyes though he couldn't sleep. Nancy's face came into view and his eyes popped back open. He sighed. Joe was right. Frank had it bad but to approach her, that was going to be hard for him. He just hoped that he said the right thing that didn't turn her away.

* * *

The next day, Laura, Frank, and Joe walked into the hotel's restaurant and was greeted by Fenton. Although he never returned to the hotel the night before, his demeanor had changed as if a massive weight had been lifted. He greeted his family with a large smile and gave George a hug and a thank you for the kind words she lent him the night before. Moments later Carson came up behind him, smiling broadly as well.

"My, you two seem better," Laura smiled. "You worked everything out, I take it?"

The two men glanced at one another then laughed. It made her day to see the two happy once again.

"Yeah," Carson smiled, putting his arm around his friend. "We had a good talk, didn't we, Fenton?"

"That we did," the other man smiled. "We needed to get a lot off our chest and we did just that. Good thing Nancy wasn't awake to hear all of it."

"Don't be so sure," he laughed. "She's like a bloodhound. She'll sniff it all out in the end. Don't be surprised if she asks a bunch of questions the next time you see her."

"Oh, will we be able to meet her soon?" Laura asked hopefully.

"Uh, no," Carson replied his smiled wavering. "Let's go sit down and we'll talk more."

A few minutes later, the group settled around large round table and looked at the selections for breakfast. Once they made their order and the waiter left, the Hardys all looked to Carson expectantly and waited.

"So?" Joe asked, breaking the silence. "What's going on?"

"Well, I'd like for you to finally meet Nancy but she won't talk back, so to speak," Carson replied lightly. He went on to explain what the doctor told him and that they were all optimistic at this point. "This morning it all changed. The color in her face is already returning and Dr. Sand thinks they'll be able to take her out of the coma earlier than they anticipated. They don't know Nancy the way I do. She'll be up and running long before any doctor or nurse would be able to catch her."

"By the way, where's George?" Frank asked looking around. "I thought she would be here by now."

"Yes, that," Carson laughed. "She had to leave early this morning. She called me last night and told me so. Something about her cousin having another crisis which more than likely means the poor girl was dumped again." He sighed. "God, I need to stop hearing gossip. I'm getting too old for this!"

Fenton laughed and shook his head. "I told you boys were easier! No gossip there!"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that," she said mischievously glancing over at Joe and Frank. "You don't hear what I have to hear during those PTO meetings! A lot of it was about Joe. You need to watch yourself there, young man."

"Seriously?" Joe said incredulously, gently placing a hand on Carson's shoulder. "You bring that up in front of Mr. Drew who nearly lost his daughter? How could you, my own mother!"

"Oh, now I see it, Fenton," Carson laughed plucking Joe's hand off. "You weren't kidding when you said he was a smooth talker. The only thing is I'm a lawyer and can sniff out bullshit when I hear it."

The color drained from Joe's face as the rest of the table laughed at his expense. Laura patted his arm and gave him a reassuring smile that lightened Joe's demeanor. Carson leaned over and spoke low to him. "You're still a good kid though. You're Fenton's kid and that's a good thing." He looked over at Frank who smile seemed to melt from his face at the attentive look the lawyer was giving him. "And thank you, Frank. I wouldn't be able to function without Nancy if it hadn't been for you. Parker told me what you did and there is nothing is this world that I can say or do to thank you for it."

"What…what's he talking about, Frank?" Laura asked looking at her son.

"You didn't tell them?" Carson asked surprised.

Fenton and Joe also glanced over but Frank was given a reprieve as there food arrived. He waited until the waiter was gone once more before he spoke.

"I…it was nothing," he stammered taking a bite out of his omelet. "She saved my life so I saved hers."

The other members of the Hardy family stared dumbfounded at Frank though Laura did speak. "The stitches? Is that what Parker meant?"

"No," Frank shook his head. He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "I guess. Nancy was shot when we escaped. I had no idea what was going on because I didn't wake up until hours later. I couldn't get the bullet out with the clamp so I…pulled it out with my fingers. Then I stitched her up. It's why I gave her my shirt. The dress she wore was too small and I…I had to rip it open to get to the wound. Like I said, it was nothing."

"The hell it was," Fenton growled. He looked proudly at his son though words couldn't come out. Laura beamed and put her arm around her oldest son and brought him close. She whispered something in his ear and he blushed.

"She was lucky to have you there," Carson replied with a nod. "Parker even said he wouldn't have known what to do. Speaking of which, he wanted to say goodbye and thank you but his parents wanted him home quickly. He visited this morning, left some flowers for Nancy then left for the airport. He sends his regards to you all."

Thankful for the change in subject, Frank continued to eat while the others talked. The adventure was definitely one for the books but in his opinion, it was the beginning of a new chapter in his life, one that was sure to bring lots of stories to tell to future generations.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**My, this was such a fun story to write! I'm so glad to hear that you have enjoyed the journey but it's not over yet! The epilogue will be following soon which will bring some hints for the other stories that are to come. And yes, we will see Nancy in the epilogue along with some goodies to go with her. As you know, I was catching up with the new Nancy Drew series and someone once told me that I would be pissed off with the direction that they went with it. Yes, I'm pissed. I will finish out the season but I'm not sure if I really want to continue the series itself. Last week's episode I wanted to scream (it was midnight so I didn't) though I have yet to watch the one from earlier this week. Who's to say what will change but I'm not liking it besides the fact that Nancy was casted perfectly (yes, I know I already said that). To Rose12 who said it several chapters ago, Scott Wolf is definitely too baby faced to play the lawyer. Plus the fact that he's shorter than Kennedy McMann. Seriously? Well, I hear a toddler in need of attention (she's in her crib at the moment) so I will let you all be for now. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and please stick around for the epilogue coming. If you can, please leave a review to let me know what you think, whether it be about just the chapter or the whole story. Until next time, have a wonderful weekend and God bless! Stay healthy and happy, my friends!**


	18. Epilogue

**Author's Note:**

**Well, this is it! The end. I hope it came out okay. I was having a hard time writing this (thank you slight case of writer's block) which is why I didn't get it out as quickly as I would have liked. It is a little long but there was so much I needed to get off my chest before the next story began. ****Out of all of my stories though, I think this one in my favorite by far. ****Anyway, I'm still glad that the story is done and now we can move on. I have such wonderful goodies coming your way with the others but first I'm going to take a short breather to make sure the next one is the way I'd like it to be. As evident in previous stories, you never know what I have in store! Haha! Thanks to everyone who has left a review for this story and to those who have read as well. I appreciate all the kind words and support that you all have given. I hope that you enjoy the end of **_**Beach Undercover**_** and if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think. Until next time, have a great week and God bless! Stay well, my friends!**

* * *

Epilogue

"Did Senator Hawkley tell you why he wanted to see you?" Nancy asked her father. They were in the back of a sedan on their way toward the Hawkley's residence to attend a dinner party in honor of Parker's rescue.

"No, but more than likely it has something to do with the pirate case," Carson answered. "I'm just surprised he wanted us to come earlier than the rest of the guests. This is going to be quite an evening."

"I hope I'm not underdressed," she muttered looking down at her dark navy gown.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," he said lovingly. He wore a black tuxedo though he pepped it up a little with a bright red bow tie. "The invitation said black tie and you are definitely going to turn heads this evening. Are Bess and George still coming later on?"

"Yes. George was a little put back by all the hubbub that we received from the senator but Bess was more than willing to come and dress her up. You know Bess. She loves a good party." Nancy quickly grabbed her side when a sharp pain ripped through her. Carson looked concerned but didn't say anything until her hand moved away.

"Still hurts?"

"Yeah, every so often. You would think that after two months the pain would be gone by now." She sighed as she looked out the window. "I thought I would be back to normal."

"Nancy," Carson took her hands in his own, "you were shot. You're lucky to be alive. Just take it easy for me, okay? The stitches may be gone but your body is still healing. If you have to sit out the night of dancing then do so. I'm sure any guy would understand."

"You mean Parker and Frank?" Nancy raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm just saying," he held up his hands in defense. "I wouldn't want to be in your shoes though."

"Dad!"

"Okay," he laughed. "I just want you to be happy, honey. That's all."

"I am happy," she smiled. "I like what I do. I just hope whoever I am with understands that I don't want to give it up right away just for good looks and a stable life."

Nancy looked out the window as the Hawkley mansion came into view. She hated being the center of attention but she knew it was going to be unavoidable considering who will be at this party. Of course she knew Parker was going to be there since it was his parents who were throwing the event. As for Frank, and Joe for that matter, who's to say they would come. Her heart seemed to flutter at the thought of both Parker and Frank but who she chose was still up in the air. She didn't get to thank either one of them for they left Florida before she woke up. It was the first thing she asked her father as to where they were. Granted, Nancy was disappointed when she heard the news but her hopes rose when Parker started sending flowers to her on a weekly basis and then called her after she arrived home three weeks after the case was closed. Frank, on the other hand, had been very quiet though he did send her a couple of emails to ask how she was doing before stopping all communication once his finals began. She understood but she missed the emails anyway and she wondered why he didn't send any more back once finals were over.

Senator Hawkley wanted to thank everyone who saved his son from the pirates so they invited all who were involved in the apprehension of Martin Davenport. It included Special Agent Jim Taylor and several members of the Coast Guard. Only Carson and Nancy were asked to arrive early while the rest of the guests would arrive an hour later. George and Bess would be arriving later as well.

The car pulled up to the stately manor in suburban New York and stopped under the stone awning. An attendant opened the car door and took Nancy's hand to help her out of the car. She was about to turn around but stopped when she heard her name. Parker walked out of the front door waving to her. Nancy caught her breath. He was handsomely dressed in a tuxedo with a deep maroon silk tie, his hair gelled though not slicked back. The smile he had for her made his eyes gleam with excitement and when he came up to her, he brought her into a hug, kissing her on the cheek.

"You look gorgeous," Parker said ecstatically taking her in. The dark navy trumpet gown was stunning on her, hugging her curves then flaring out just above her knees. The off-the-shoulder gown had a Queen Anne neckline that accentuated her delicate shoulders and neck. Her hair was pulled back into a chignon that rested at the back of her head while simple but elegant jewelry adorned her ears and wrist.

Parker turned his attention to Carson and shook hands with the lawyer, welcoming them both to the home. "I'm so glad you guys were able to come this evening."

"Well, thank you for the invitation," Carson smiled. "Your parents were pretty convincing to get us here."

"Yeah, they are," the young man laughed embarrassed. "I just wish they didn't have a party in the first place. That's all it is anymore. I seem to be partied out after what happened in Florida. But enough about that. They're waiting for us inside."

He held his elbow out for Nancy in which she took and he escorted her inside the manor while Carson walked beside them, eyeing the couple with interest. The foyer was large and decorated with flowers and blue hues. Several servants and wait staff bustled around putting finishing touches on the house.

"Carson!" called a voice. The trio turned to see a man walking toward them from the back of the house. He was dressed in a dark tuxedo with a white bow tie and exuded a presence of authority and dignity as he walked. Nancy knew he was Senator Hawkley not just from knowing his photo but also the fact that he was a older version of Parker though his temples were graying and there were crow's feet forming at the corners of his green eyes.

"Winston, good to see you!" Carson smiled extending his hand out to shake the senator's hand. "Thank you for inviting us!"

"Well, it's the least we could do to thank you and the Hardys for rescuing Parker," the senator replied. Parker looked away embarrassed. "And of course, putting away a very nasty group of pirates. How are you doing now that you're off the case?"

"I have to admit, I was surprised that I was taken off," he responded, "but then again I wasn't because of what happened with Nancy. Speaking of which." Carson turned toward her and introduced her to the senator.

"Nice to meet you, sir," she said nervously holding out her hand.

"Why Carson, she's lovely," Hawkley smiled and Nancy blushed. "No wonder you've been hiding her."

"Oh stop that, Winston," scolded a woman. She came up behind her husband and playfully slapped his arm, greeting the Drews with a kind smile. Patricia Hawkley was the epitome of a senator's wife in beauty and brains. She had a kind face that was aging well and rose to just below Nancy's height. With grey blue eyes that were hawk like yet mesmerizing, the woman was definitely intimidating. Nancy felt as if she were under a microscope as Mrs. Hawkley eyed her with interest. The woman seemed to approve and took the girl by the hand. "Nancy, dear, let us leave these three to their constant barrage of boring talk. This way we can get to know one another."

"Okay," she replied. Nancy turned around to look at Parker, her eyes pleading for help though she knew he couldn't help her. When Patricia Hawkley spoke, people obeyed.

The moment the two women were gone, Winston motioned for Carson to enter the study nearby. Parker reluctantly followed though he continued to watch his mother and Nancy up until the moment he closed the door. Carson and the senator were already deep in conversation by the time he came in, each of them holding a snifter of brandy.

"I'm sorry, Carson," Winston apologized, "but I was the one who requested you to be removed from the case."

"You? But why?"

"Because I planned on recusing myself from the whole thing anyway after Parker was kidnapped," he explained. "I couldn't see myself being able to think clearly let alone objectively and I wondered the same about you. If I overstepped my bounds, please let me know."

"No," Carson shook his head. "You're fine. I should have done it myself but Nancy was in the hospital for so long. She was in longer than expected because the doctor's were worried when she didn't wake up after stopping the medication."

"Is she okay now?"

"I think so though I do wonder sometimes." He thought for a moment about the pain she was still experiencing but didn't say anything about it. "I…I think it scared her and after what I heard about what he did to her, I'm not surprised. It didn't seem to deter her though from continuing to do what she loves to do. Right now, she's taking it easy until she's healed completely and when she decides to go back to work, I'll support her in any way I can. That Davenport was a truly messed up human being. His daughter too."

"Is it true about him?" Parker asked finally speaking. "About what happened to Davenport?"

"Sadly, yes," Carson answered grimly. "One of the bullets shattered his spine. He'll no longer be a threat physically but he'll also no longer be able to walk. He's paralyzed from the waist down and is still in the hospital though all his mental faculties are still evident, unfortunately. The man is conniving and despicable in every way. I still haven't told Fenton about Davenport. I'm not sure how he'll take it since he was the one who pulled the trigger. I also haven't told him about Melody. I was planning on doing so while I was in town."

"That's up to you, Carson," Winston stated. "I'm sure the news will be taken better than you think. I've read about Fenton Hardy and he sounds like a good and honest man. And Parker has told me a lot about Frank and Joe. I'm looking forward to meeting them all this evening."

"What's going on with Melody anyway?" Parker asked curiously.

Carson looked over at the young man and sighed deeply. "Davenport made a deal with the new US Attorney in charge of the case. He gave up names and businesses he dealt with over the years in exchange for a lighter sentence for his daughter. If it were up to me, it never would have been on the table but the new attorney wanted the bigger fish and took Davenport's bait. Because of it, Melody was charged as a minor instead of an adult like I suggested. She'll get out when she turns 21 in five years."

"But what about what she did to Frank?" the young man said angrily. "Hell, she was like that to me at first. She's crazy about him. Literally. Does this attorney honestly think she's going to easily get over him?"

"I know exactly what you mean, Parker," Carson replied grimly. "As I said, I suggested full prison time for her as an adult. She knew what she was doing but they didn't see it that way. I'm sure that Frank would appreciate your concern though. That's what being a true friend is all about. I know it's going to be hard on them especially when she gets out but I have been told that Melody will be seeing a therapist over the course of her sentence. Hopefully by the time she's ready to be released, that obsession will be gone. We won't know that until later down the road. In the meantime, I will personally be monitoring that whole situation even though I am no longer on the case. It's the least I could do for Fenton and Frank. Don't worry, Parker. Everything will be handled accordingly."

A knock came at the door and Mrs. Hawkley walked in alone without waiting for a response. "Darling, our guests are beginning to arrive," she stated sweetly. She went over to her husband and took the snifter out of his hand. "You know what the doctor told you about your brandy."

"I know, Pat," he sighed.

"Carson, I must say, your daughter is a delight," she lauded, turning toward the lawyer. "She's so polite and lovely."

"Thank you, Patricia," Carson blushed. "She gets it from her mother. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to see if the Hardys have arrived yet."

"They haven't but I'm sure they'll be here soon," Mrs. Hawkley smiled. "Nancy is out on the patio with her friends though."

The group exited the study with Parker seeking out Nancy while Carson went to look for the Hardys. The Hawkleys left as well, mingling with the guests as they arrived. They all soon found themselves outside, enjoying the late spring air.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, the Hardys pulled into the driveway leading up to the mansion with Fenton driving the family SUV.

"Woah," Joe commented looking up at the manor ahead of them. "_This_ is where the Hawkleys live?"

"Yes, and you better be on your best behavior, young man!" Laura ordered from the front seat. "No funny business…from either of you!"

Frank nodded silently while Joe continued to complain. "But did we have to wear these monkey suits?" He pulled at his bowtie as if it were choking him. "I already had to wear this thing for prom a few weeks ago!"

"And you look just as handsome now as you did then," she replied roughly. "It's called a 'black tie event' for a reason, Joe. Now, put a smile on and quit your complaining! This night is all about you guys and you should feel honored that the senator wanted to give you his appreciation."

"Yeah, he could have just sent a check," he mumbled folding his arms in front of him.

"Joe!"

"I got it. I'll behave." Joe looked over at his brother who was quietly looking out the window toward the mansion towering over them. "What's with you, Frank? You're awfully quiet."

"I'm just thinking, that's all."

"Yeah, I know what you're thinking." Frank looked over at him just as Joe waggled his eyebrows. The older brother rolled his eyes and shook his head as the car came to a stop and the door opened.

The four Hardys exited the vehicle and stared at the open front door where a woman stood with a clipboard and security was heavy.

"Do you think she's here?" Joe asked softly as they went through security. "I mean, I would think that she would be, don't you?"

"I don't know," Frank stated curtly. He was thinking about Nancy but he was secretly hoping she wasn't there so that he wouldn't make a fool out of himself in front of her. "The last time I sent her an email was right before finals and she didn't say anything about this then."

"That was almost three weeks ago!" his brother hissed. "Why haven't you talked to her since then? I'm sure she'd like to hear from you and more than likely you would have known she was here."

"Don't you think I don't know that?" he retorted. "I'm nervous enough as it is! The last time we saw her, she almost died. I wouldn't mind seeing her again just to make sure she's okay. She did say she was taking it easy so she might not even be here."

"Yeah, right," Joe laughed. "Her father is good friends with the Hawkleys, remember? I'm sure Parker has cozied up to her while you were busy studying."

"Shut up, Joe," Frank muttered as the pair finally walked into the foyer of the massive house. People were everywhere which was surprising considering there weren't that many people involved in the whole case.

"I'm just making sure you're okay, big brother," Joe continued. The brothers noticed that their parents were ahead of them, heading toward the back of the house. They followed though they kept their distance so they could talk. "I'm telling you, if you don't let her know how you feel, Parker will and by then it will be too late. You'll lose that chance with her."

"And what makes you the expert? Don't you have your own issues with girls"

"Not like you. Besides, did you hear the way he talked about her?" Joe pointed out. "Plus he left her flowers at the hospital, he's good looking, _and_ he's rich."

"Like Nancy is a gold digger," Frank said doubtfully. He looked up to see their parents walk outside onto a patio. "Besides, Parker is a nice guy. It's Nancy's decision and I will respect it no matter what happens. I really wish you would just stay out of my business, Joe."

"I can worry, you know."

When the brothers went out onto the patio, they were surprised to see the expanse of grounds behind the house. There were a set of stone steps leading down into the garden where a large dance floor and DJ station were set up.

"This is so cool!" Joe whooped. He scanned the grounds as he came to a stop at a landing overlooking the garden.

A blonde girl caught his eye, her smile infectious her eyes gleaming with excitement as she looked up from her place next to the dance floor. When she noticed him watching her, she waved at him, her fingers waggling. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her in her hot pink party dress with a sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps. The bodice shimmered with faux gems while the dress itself came to just above her knees. She leaned over to her friend and spoke in her ear, her eyes never leaving Joe. Her friend turned around and the brothers' mouths both dropped open in shock.

* * *

"Is this party going to pep up a little?" Bess complained looking around the dance floor. "I'm surprised no one has asked me to dance."

"You're wearing a hot pink dress in a sea of muted colors, Bess," George retorted. "I'm sure someone will ask you eventually but this is a party of refinement not a prom. Thank God I didn't take your advice on the dress you thought I should wear."

"Hey, that was beautiful on you!" her cousin pouted. "You would have looked stunning in it."

"Yeah, and I would have felt awkward with the gaudy color of it," she spat. "It was neon green, Bess. I would have stood out like a sore thumb while looking like a lime at the same time. At least Nancy helped me with this one and I'm happy for it even though I still feel crappy in it."

"You look beautiful, babe," a voice replied behind them. Aiden Hutchinson, George's boyfriend, came up with three cups of punch and handed the girls their drinks. He kissed George on the cheek and she blushed. "Did I miss anything?"

"Only Nancy being swept out onto the dance floor by Parker," Bess pointed. The three watched as Nancy and Parker danced on the floor, both of them enjoying their time together. "Parker's a really good dancer. They're a good looking couple, too if you ask me."

"I guess," George shrugged.

Bess gave her a curious look. "Are you…are you trying to set her up with someone else, my ever reserved cousin? That is _my_ job."

"I'm not trying to do anything," she defended. "I just want Nancy to be happy and make sure she chooses someone who is _like_ her not just likes her. Besides, she would have to get used to this all the time. Who would want that?"

"Uh, hello? Me!"

"Are you talking about the ones you've been telling me about for the past few weeks?" Aiden asked with a smirk. "I'm a little jealous from everything you've said, George. Who is this guy? Do you have a secret crush on him or something?"

George looked at her boyfriend and smiled sweetly. She leaned in and kissed him on the lips taking him by surprise. "I only have eyes for you, Aiden."

"Well, I don't know about you but I know I see something I like." Bess smiled and waved flirtatiously at someone behind them. "Finally some guys our own age!"

George and Aiden turned to see Frank and Joe standing above them, their mouths open slightly in shock. The three walked over to the stone steps and waited for the brothers to meet them at the bottom.

"George!" Joe cried, hugging the girl tightly. He took a step back and admired the dark haired beauty. Her hair was pulled back and she wore a simple but elegant dark green sheath dress that came to just below her knees with a slit that rode high on her thigh. "Looking good. You haven't looked this good since that party we went to in Florida."

"If I remember correctly, Joe," she smirked, "I was wearing something a little less than this. This I can handle." She heard her cousin clear her throat and laughed. "Joe, Frank, this is my cousin, Bess and Aiden, my boyfriend."

Joe took Bess' hand and kissed it. The girl giggled sheepishly. Frank rolled his eyes as he shook Aiden's hand then Bess' once Joe was done trying to swoon her.

"It's so nice to finally meet you two," Bess said enthusiastically. "Nancy and George have told me so much about you since they got home from that trip to Florida. I really wish I hadn't missed it."

"You were in that relationship that 'meant the world to you,' remember?" George reported. "If I do recall, I had to come home early to help you get through that one."

"Don't remind me, George," she sniffled. "Biff was an idiot to begin with and I still don't understand why I didn't see it coming."

"You were talking about us, George? Really?" Joe replied changing the subject. He looked at her, his eyebrow arced. Then he looked over at Frank who rolled his eyes again. "I hope it was nothing but good things, Bess."

"Of course," she nodded her head. Bess leaned over and whispered in George's ear. "These two are better looking than you gave credit for. No wonder Nancy's having a hard time choosing!"

"Hello, Frank, Joe." The group turned to see Nancy smiling behind them, her face flushed from dancing. "It's nice to see you again."

Frank was speechless. She was just as beautiful as she was the day he met her and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. The gown she wore distinguished her delicate features and showed to him that she wasn't the girl he thought she was. Joe cleared his throat while Bess hid a smile behind her hand. She whispered again into George's ear and her cousin nodded.

"Uh, yeah," Frank finally spoke, his voice to the brink of cracking. "I see you're doing well."

"I feel…okay," she said vaguely. Nancy stared at him for a few seconds, her blue eyes searching. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Never been better," he smiled. Frank looked at his brother who smirked and the older Hardy shook his head. He knew he was never going to hear the end of it. "I'm just…glad you're all right. That's all."

"Well, now that that's over," Joe piped in. He leaned in and gave Nancy the hug that Frank forgot to give. "Good to see you, Nancy."

"Good to see you too, Joe," she said. When they parted, Nancy looked up at Frank briefly before nervously glancing away, a move that was noticed by the others in the group. "I never got the chance to thank the both of you for saving my life. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

"Ah, you're welcome," the younger Hardy said exaggeratedly, "but I had nothing to do with it. That was all Lancelot here."

Joe clapped Frank on the back and he bumped into Nancy nearly knocking her over. He wrapped his arm around her back before she fell over and he caught of glimpse of relief in her blue eyes. Frank held on to her for a brief moment then apologized as he righted her.

"It's okay, Frank," she smiled sheepishly, trying to hide the deep blush that came over her face. Nancy blew out a sigh. This was going to be harder than she thought.

"Hey, guys!" cried Parker coming up behind Nancy. He held out a drink for her then shook hands with the Hardy brothers. "Good of you to make it."

"Parker." Joe glanced at Frank with a mischievous grin. "Nice to see you. Dude, this is an awesome house!"

"Meh," the young man waved dismissively. "It's my parents' house. I find it confining and boring half the time. I have a place in the city if you're ever interested in visiting. How are you two doing?"

"Good," Frank nodded as cheerfully as he could. Although he liked Parker, he still couldn't get over the awkward feeling he felt with Nancy two feet away. This was going to be a long night but he was definitely going to make the best of it.

* * *

_A week later and 1200 miles away…_

"_Authorities are suspecting that the victim is the latest in a series of murders that have been occurring all around the country,"_ the reporter said on the TV. A guard sat at a desk eating a sandwich as he watched the newscast. _"The young woman who was found was kidnapped three days ago on the morning of what was to be her wedding day. Federal investigators have been called to the scene in order to assess if this is indeed the work of the serial killer now nicknamed 'The Bridal Killer.' There is currently no motive or reason as to why these women are being targeted."_

"Anything good on the news?" asked another guard coming up to the window.

"Nah, just something about that serial killer," he replied then took another bite out of his sandwich. "Good thing my kids are little at the moment or I'd be worried. Especially with kids like that crazy one down the hall. I'd hate to be object of her obsession. When's the doc coming to get her again?"

"Tomorrow, I think," the other guard stated. "I'll be glad when she's gone too. She gives me the creeps."

A little ways down the hall, a girl sat cross legged in a small room, rocking in place. Her hair was a tangled mess and her once pretty features seemed to have molded into a crazed look. She stared at the wall, humming a nondescript melody to herself. She could hear the TV down the hall and smiled when the guards talked about her. She wanted to scare people but most of all she wanted revenge on the people who almost killed her beloved father. Then she was going to take what she always wanted.

"Look out, Frank," Melody whispered. "I'm coming for you."


End file.
